Awakening
by Bubonicc
Summary: A young artist makes the discovery of her life, or will it cost her her life? In the end will she make the Ultimate sacrifice or will she be able to protect herself and the others she loves.
1. Prolouge

Blurry eyes rapidly blinked, trying to clear. Soft gags and hiccups escaped the body laying on the ground. Face up, she stared at the ships moving over head. Blood seeping from the corners of her mouth dripping down her neck and into her hair. Trying to speak, she couldn't find words but only more gags and blood.

* * *

_Was this the end?_

* * *

It must have been. Laying in the middle of the street, the young woman was covered in grime. Laying in the rubble of a building. This had to be it. Vision fading, she could hear her name being called. She reached out her hand in one direction, her fingers cut up and bloody. She never turned her head, it was pointless, her vision field became smaller and smaller till darkness embraced her.

**This was war.**


	2. Officer Down

Knocking up the welding mask and wiping sweat from her forehead, she slapped the mask back down. Torch in hand, she placed aimed it at two pieces of metal she brought together. Sparks flew onto her gloves and close to her skin were burn marks were clearly visible.

"Maria," She didn't look up, "Maria!" The torch pulled away and she looked up, it was Donny, the owner of the scrap yard. "I didn't think you where still here."

"Lotta good scrap this week." Maria said, muffled by her mask before knocking it up once more. "Just really want to finish this project."

Maria was short for a 19 year old girl. She once had long brown hair but hacked it off when she managed to catch it on fire. She had deep brown eyes and a rather odd smile. Having just finished her last semester before summer, she spent her days in Donny's scrap yard working on art.

"Does your father know you still come here? I know he never liked it." Don himself was a rather short man, kind of plump. Short hair that grayed at the sides and a freckled face that his wife thought was adorable. Running the scrap yard he allowed Maria to come in and create anything she wanted with what he had left over.

"I doubt it. And I don't care what he thinks. I can do what I want." She looked cross. "Not all of us can follow his path."

"Listen Maria I know you and your father have had a rough patch lately but-" Maria cut him off when she removed her gloves and slapped them down on a sheet of metal.

"No...fathers are supposed to support you. No matter what. Not shun you for them." Letting out a sigh she looked at her work. "What do you think..."

Donny looked at the construction. "A big metal dragon?"

"Made of spare cars and aliens."

"You found transformer parts? Here?"

"Nothing that could be fixed really. A lot of chest plates, knee guards, and other pieces of armor that was shipped here after the battle in Chicago. Nothing like the guns the government is looking for. So might as well add it to the art piece."

"Uh-huh...well just be careful. The last thing I need is you actually building one or worse...finding one that's still working. These are quiet parts. We don't need those kind of battles here." Donny turned and headed back to his office. "Don't stay to late tonight."

"Don't worry about me. And I'm an artist, not a robotic genius like my father claims to be. Nothing here but scraps. And I won't. In fact I'm leaving now, have to beat the old man home."

"I have a new shipment of stuff coming tomorrow morning, I'll shift though it and see what I can take and you can have the rest."

"Thanks, Night Don, see you tomorrow."

Maria waved goodbye and walked out the scrap yard, her bicycle still leaning against the main entrance. Hopping on she peddled home. Luckily for her, she only lived a few miles down the road, that was what came with living in a small town, everybody knew you and getting lost never happened.

* * *

"Where have you been."

"Out. Like always." Maria tossed her back down, it looked like it had gone through a war. "It is summer vacation." She scoffed, not looking at her father as she moved into the kitchen.

"To the scrap yard?"

"Yes."

"I told you not to go there anymore." Her father cut her off. He was taller than her by a large margin. She defiantly didn't take after him with her physical features. He was in a suit, like any businessman, and was spotless. He had sharp blue eyes which she had always wished she had gotten, because somehow they always sliced right though her.

"I'm 19 years old. Dad, I can go where I like. Plus, nothing else to do around here."

"You could be looking for a real job, instead of rolling around in scrap all day. You look disgusting covered in all that grime and dirt."

"I have a job, I'm an artist." If poison could come out of her mouth it would have. "Just because I chose not to follow the path you wanted for me doesn't mean you have to be a jerk about it. I'm old enough to make my own choices now. Mom's not here. And you know what, Mom would have supported me."

"You where enrolled to be a surgeon. You where an honors student, got into the right college, and you turned it all down! For art!"

"I did it for my own reasons and you wouldn't understand if I told you." Washing her hands at the sink, she made her way to her room on the second floor.

"Why won't you come and work at the robotics lab with me? At least you would be making more money than random art commissions."

"Because," She stopped at the top of the stairs, "I'm not interested in matching the Transformers in technology. I'm not interested in trying to be something we are not. I'm interested in just making a living the way I want too." With that she went into her room and closed the door, leaving her father sighing at the bottom.

* * *

The breeze was warm as it flowed though Marias hair. Sitting on a small balcony that attached to her room she looked up at the sky. The best part about living somewhere rural was how clear the nights were. Blinking, she sighed and looked down at sketch pad. "I wish you were here mom. You would know what to say to dad. He's changed since you died. A lot. He somehow because a mega-douch. Not the dad who used to draw with me. Just wish you were here to slap him over the head for me because I'm close to doing it with a rock." Leaning back into her chair, she looked up once more. The moon was only half full, but it was enough to light the neighbors cornfields. They rustled when the wind blew, all was silent for a while. "I wish I could have some adventure though mom. Life here is getting boring fast. College is college. Just wish something fun would happen once in a while."

* * *

Morning came, and so did dark clouds, a storm was just around the corner. As Maria dressed and readied herself, she went down into the kitchen and found a note on the counter.

Maria, trip to Chicago on business, be back in a few days. - Dad

Alongside the note was a bit of cash which she stashed inside a jar on the counter. It was filled with money her father had left her on previous occasions. Having made and ate breakfast she grabbed her bag and headed outside. Inhaling deeply she could smell rain in the wind.

"Hmm, have to work fast today." Hoping onto her bike, she headed for Don's Scrap yard.

"You are early today?" Donny had a clip board in hand, checking off some things as a trailer dumped off scrap. "Lucky for you today little lady there is a lot you get to have. Nothing worth cashing in this load." He looked back at his board then yelled at the driver to keep dumping.

"What have you got on the menu today?" Tossing down her bike in the usual spot, she scanned the dumplings.

"A wopping total of six cars you can take apart, ten washers and dryers, some AC units, two trackers, and some miscellaneous scraps. All yours if you want them."

"Is it Christmas?"

"In your world, probably. Mine, no. Don't cut yourself on anything, the emergency room doctors don't need to give you any more stitches this year."

"Gentle like always." She heard Don grunt before leaving to her work. He was always nice enough to let her store her welder and tools there so her father wouldn't throw them away on her.

"I'm leaving in about an hour, the wife and I are headed out of town for two days. You know where the key is right?"

"4th rusty mailbox from the left." She nodded.

"Good. Don't stay to long today, looks like a storm is headed in and the last place I want you to be is a scrap field in lightning."

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." She turned and headed in, dropping her bag and looking through all the treasures. "Oh man I can make so much stuff with this! This is what I have been waiting for to finish the dragon."

Hours went by as Maria pulled scraps and worked. Noon came quickly with darker clouds, forcing her to knock up her welding mask to see. "Come on just a little more time." putting the torch down she walked over to another care. A rather large and raged looking ambulance. Two flat tires, holes in the side and covered in rust. "Looks like you went through hell. Hopefully you did some good in your prime." Lifting the hood, Maria tensed when thunder crackled in the distance. Cool drops of rain drizzled onto her neck as she fiddled with the wires. "Hmm..." Brushing off the top of the engine, she could see a logo.

"Another Transformer..." Brushing off more and more dirt she looked closer. "A lot of you coming through here lately." Reaching back down she was suddenly jarred but a loud boom and crackle. Lightening struck the scrap yard and sparks flew. "Aw shit shit shit!" Slamming her head on the top of the hood she fell back onto the ground. Another lightning bolt slammed down a lot closer to her. "fuck!" The felt the heat from the blast, causing her to throw her arm up to protect her eyes. She back peddled hard, trying to get away from the metal. Managing a few feet from the ambulance and her another bolt struck the car. More heat erupted in her face and she screamed, this had to be it, how she died, in one big conduction field.

"RAAA!" A voice boomed. The ambulance before her sparked, violently jumping up and shattering into pieces, except they connected and morphed into something. "Grrr!" The transformer jerked itself upward off the ground, standing on wobbly legs before stumbling into a scrap pile. Metal flew in all directions and Maria was quick to high tail it.

"Wh-What the fuck!" She covered her head with her arms as scraps rained down on her. Slicing her arms open and one piece catching her leg. "Ah!" She fell and landed face down in the dirt. She could hear the sirens of the Ambulance going off and could still hear him struggling to focus.

"Stop!" She cried. "Stop!" Watching it continue to walk around, it seemed to come back to reality. It settled and finally stood up strait, though it looked like it had seen better days. Bright blue optics looked around at the scrap yard, almost confused. Spotting Maria he turned to her, not surprised when she crawled backwards. "Stop! Don't come any closer!" Lightning crackled and she held her hand up to him. "Just stay there..." Panting, she climbed to her feet.

"If you can speak...who are you?"

**"Medical Officer Ratchet..."**


	3. Mechanic for Hire

Heart pounding in her chest, Maria just stared at the bot. He was huge, taller than the scrap piles, and rather wide. he had turned his sirens off and looked around in suspicion. Feeling it was clear, his legs collapsed and he fell to his knees, shoulders slumped. If a robot could look exhausted, this was it.

"Ratchet...?" Managing to get to her feet, she took a step on lax legs. "Are you a-"

"Autobot," he had a hand on his head, taking it away and seeing that energon had leaked onto his hand, "yes."

"So you are not going to kill me?" She had moved a lot closer to him, but just far enough if he tried to grab her she could get away.

"No, human, I am not going to harm you." he blinked and sighed. "Where am I?"

"A small town in Massachusetts. A really small town. Mostly farm land really. You are in the scrap yard." She gestured to the pile.

"How did I get here?" He seemed agitated.

"Well if you mean _here_ particularly you came by truck. You and five other cars. Before that I'm not sure. Donny takes scrap from all over the place."

"I'm not scrap!" He snapped, slamming his fist on the ground, knocking Maria off her feet.

"Okay okay sorry!" She held her hands up, she was scared. "I didn't mean it like that." Back on her feet she brushed herself off. Ratchet noticed the blood on her.

"Are you hurt?" His voice was softer now.

"Not the first time I cut myself open here. Just glad Donny is gone, I don't even want to think about what he would say right now."

"Donny?"

"A friend of mine...and by the way those other five cars they wouldn't happen to be-" She looked at the other scrapped cars and then back at Ratchet who was also looking at them.

"Only me."

"Oh good...I can only handle one robot at a time." She managed a small laugh before hearing ratchet groan.

"Are you hurt?" She moved a little closer.

"Took some damage. critical hits. went into cover to hide, must be how you found me."

"Who hurt you?"

"Humans," Ratchet pulled some scrap from his insides and tossed them aside, starting to repair himself, "different from the ones we have worked with in the past though. They where capturing my kind. Autobot and Decepticons. Binding them and taking them away. They took a friend of mine."

"What would humans want with...you guys?"

"I do not know. But it can't be good. I don't blame your kind for being afraid of us after Chicago. But that isn't grounds to kidnap my kind."

"Would there be others like you in hiding?"

"Yes, I can send out a message to call the ones here. But I must fix myself first." He was working all the time she was speaking, though his own tools seemed to give out. "Blast..." He snarled.

"Can I help you?"

"What could you possibly know?" A robotic eyebrow was raised.

"Well, I work a lot with metal. My father is also very much into robotics so I know a bit. Enough that I could patch you up. It is the least I can do for what my kind did to you." Maria was climbing a scrap pile. Once on top she sat, she was eyelevel with Ratchet now. "I have all my tools here, so you wouldn't have to move, so don't worry about being seen by whoever you are hiding from. The scrap yard is walled in well enough." Thunder still rolled in the sky, and the rain was coming down in a drizzle.

Ratchet looked away, not really sure what to do. Normally his personality would take it as an insult for a humans help to repair himself, but he was to low on energon to really complain.

"Very well then. But I will guide you on how to do it. Once I'm strong enough I will take over."

"Deal"

* * *

The sun sank low into the horizon as Maria worked. She was currently patching a hole in Ratchets arm armor. Ratchet remained in a sitting position and was rather quite, only speaking when Maria needed guidance.

"That wire connects over there." He pointed with his large finger, rather impressed with how well she was doing. "Have you done this before? You work well with your hands." His blue optics reflected in her welding mask before she pushed it up.

"I wasn't always an artist." Pulling a rag from her pocket, she wiped down the side of the bots arm. "I graduated high school thinking I was going to be the next best surgeon in the country. I had a full scholarship and everything." She sat back, leaning into a scrap pile she was atop to get some leverage on his height. "I even spent two full years in medical school, learning all I could. I studied hard at home and was rather successful..." She trailed off.

"And you gave that all up?" Ratchet looked over his arm.

"I gave it up because I learned there was more than one way to save a person's life. I don't have to operate on them. Sometimes there are other ways." Her eyes seemed to go a gray. "I had a friend once," She knocked down her mask again and began to work on one of Ratchets chest plates, "He was depressed. Had really nasty parents. His mother and father would fight constantly, and he lost his little brother to cancer. I did all I could for him. Hell, I even loved the kid. And I just wish I could have done more. He killed himself about two years after his brother died. I could have stopped it. I could have been there more. but instead I was so lost in what my father wanted me to be." The torch hissed as it touched the bots metal, melting the plates together to fix the large laceration.

"I could have done things in my lifetime as well. A young scout I knew had his voice box torn out. I couldn't save it. I could have done better at the time. We all wish we could change things., but we have to go with the flow."

"Maybe."

Finishing up, Maria packed away her tools and looked at Ratchet. He didn't look as bad as he had. Maria had washed all the dirt off she could and removed several gun shells from inside his armor. At least now he could walk around without falling.

"I need to get home. It's getting late. You can come with me or you can stay here. I don't really know what Autobots do in their spare time."

"Is this place safe?" Ratchet knew it was walled in but he was still visible from the air. "I sent a call out to Optimus. He should be arriving soon."

"Optimus?"

"The Autobot leader. We were all separated during the attack. It was safer for us to be hidden alone. I have called him to location so it is better that I stay here and wait for him. But is it safe here for the time being?"  
"Well you are in luck. Donny, who runs the scrap yard is out of town for the next two days. So until then you are all alone here. No one should bother you. I am the only one with the key to this place."

"Keys don't really matter to our kind. If you know what I mean." He gestured to his size.

"Ah...right I forgot." Picking her bag up she pointed to the empty spot Ratchet occupied in vehicle mode. "If you turn back into the ambulance and fit yourself in that spot over there, no one will think anything off you. Just more scrap."

"I'm not scrap I said."

"I know you're not but you're not trying to fool me." Crossing her arms, Maria tilted her hip one way, giving his sass right back.

"Fine." Transforming and backing into place, his headlights went off and the yard was silent.

The next day followed with Maria returning to the yard and fixing the last bit she could before Ratchet had enough to strength to take over.

"No leader yet?"

"Something must have gone wrong. No less, more reason so stay low. It would be foolish to go out and look for him."

"I could go with you. I know things around here better. I could-"

"No. To dangerous. The last thing I want to happen is for you to get hurt is the Decepticons find me and attack. They won't stop shooting because you are with me. Worse, if those guys come around who have been kidnapping my kind come around. Who knows what they would did so someone like you who is hiding me."

"You think the FBI is going to crash though my windows. I have downloaded so much illegal music if they have not caught me now they never will." She laughed at herself but Ratchet was unmoved.

"This is serious. I don't want you getting hurt. You proved your value."

"What..." She blushed, embarrassed.

"I just don't want you hurt." He turned his head, what a grump.

"Well, tonight is the last night you can stay here. Tomorrow you will have to come to my home. Donny will be back and running the yard, I don't want him to see you. I can't even imagine what he would say if he saw you...like the real you. All unfolded."

A loud horn sounded from the other side of the scrap yards gate. Both Maria and Ratchet silenced.

"What was that?" Maria stepped back, getting close to Ratchet, not wanting to admit to him that she was actually pretty scared. "Decepticons?!"

"No...Optimus." Ratchet stood and opened the front gate, allowing the truck to roll in. The beautiful red and blue paint glistened in the sunlight, leaving Maria with her mouth wide open. "Prime."

Optimus began his transformation, slamming his fists onto the ground, dust kicked up and shrouded him. Leaning back he stood on two rather long legs, rocketing over Ratchet, making him alarmingly short, and making her even smaller.

"Oh shit!" Maria jumped, if her eyes could set fire they would. "This is to good!" She ran towards the Prime, looking up to him. The look of awe was not a strange thing to Optimus, rather familiar. Steam blew from the pipes on his back as he knelt down.

"Hello," That deep voice almost knocked her off her feet but she moved closer to him. Reaching a hand out and touching the side of his faceplate. "My name is Optimus Prime."

"H-Hi."

"Thank you for fixing my friend." Prime looked up at Ratchet who still had a grumpy look.

"Anytime really." She watched the bot stand back up and give Ratchet a hard look.

"They took Drift."

"What about Crosshairs? Or Sideswipe?" Ratchet now looked distressed. "You couldn't stop them to get Drift?"

"No, Drift and I were on our way here when we were attacked. By a lot of them. He gave himself up so I could reach you. We had hoped you had managed to find others." Prime watched Ratchet shake his head. His optics seemed to glow a little less bright now. "Crosshairs was not traveling with us. He went on his own to check out a possible base. I have not heard back from him yet."

"Not good. All we know is that the two of us are probably the only ones together. And if not for Maria finding me before the crusher did, it would only be you." Ratchet took Maria into his hand and let her stand in his flat palm. "She's a pretty good mechanic, but could be better if she learned it from the right person."

"I'm an artist Rachet."

**"Not for much longer."**


	4. The Slumber

Ratchet set Maria down on the ground and looked at Optimus. Both were silent for a long time.

"So what is the plan now?" Maria was first to break the silence between them.

"As of right now we need to lay low. I am not certain I was followed here. When Drift separated from me he made sure to go in the opposite direction as I. To lead the enemy away from me and give me time to get here. Hopefully his sacrifice bought us a little time to figure out where they live." Optimus had a large hand to his chin, rubbing it and staring into the sky.

"We cannot say here tonight. If what Maria says is true, then the owner of this yard will be coming back and we will be spotted. As much as I admire your work Maria, you're a liability."

"Oh come on I can handle myself. You have not stepped on me yet." She joked but again the grump medic wasn't amused. "Whatever," turning towards Prime, Maria extended her arms, "You two are welcome to stay close to my house. My house is surrounded by farm land, mostly covered in corn, so it will provide cover enough for you if you need to hide. Plus it's away from town so nobody will see you and get suspicious."

Optimus turned, his back to her, arms crossed. For a large robot as himself he was rather slender and graceful. Something seemed to radiate off of him, hope maybe. Something that seemed to lift her off the ground. He turned to her, his big feet stepping lightly around her.

"So be it."

"Alright then, follow me, I'll take you there." Shuffling though her backpack for the gate keys, Maria grabbed her bike. Ratchet and Optimus rolled out in vehicle form, though Ratchet stopped before he passed the girl.

"I'm a better ride." His passenger door opened.

"Hey don't insult my bike, he has feelings."

"Sure he does, just like me, get in."

* * *

Sitting on top of her balcony, Maria had a sketch pad in her lap. Scribbling down, she watched Ratchet and Optimus talk in the distance.

"Mom I wish you could see me now," erasing a bit she continued, "I think you would be more thrilled than I am right now." Adding a little more detail, Optimus' face became apparent on the paper. "Never in my life did I think this would happen to me. I wonder if they sleep, or what they eat. Do they even sleep? How long do they live? How are they produced. I would feel rude asking them upfront." She laughed to herself.

"Do you always talk to yourself?" It was Optimus this time.

"Oh sorry."

"None needed," The Prime sat down, his head level with her balcony. "Forgive us for any trouble we have caused you."

"Oh no! None at all." She stood and went to the edge of the balcony. "Please don't think that. In fact you guys have provided me with nothing but...well everything. I lost my best friend years ago...and somehow Ratchet just...connected with me. I feel relieved that I met him in a way. While we were alone together in the scrap yard, Ratchet told me a lot about the war you and the others had been fighting for years. The friends you had lost. My personal war has been nothing like yours."

"War of any kind can wear anyone down." Prime looked up the stars. "Like our home planet. Destroyed by war. Greed. It was very beautiful once."

"Yeah Ratchet told me. Wish I could have seen it. But we humans don't have that kind of space travel yet. One day maybe. Never in my lifetime did I think I would be meeting aliens. Nor good ones. Just a dream I guess that fate decided would come my way."

"Fate has an odd way of doing that." Looking down and around the land he grunted. "Do you live alone?"

"No, my father and I share this house, though I am alone most of the time. Since my father is one of the heads of a robotics company, he is away on business a lot. A lot more in the past years than before. And my mother..." She paused, eyes growing distant, "She died in Chicago."

"During the battle?"

"My mom loved astrology. She was always so fascinated with the idea that there was life out there. She taught in a college not too far from here as an astronomy professor. It is why we moved here, we used to live in New York but because the air is dirty the stars are impossible to see at night. But when you come to farm country like this, you might as well be looking at the whole galaxy." Gesturing towards the star splattered sky, she sat back down. "I got news about a month after she was missing. She was crushed, by a car. Along with many others that day." She had gone back to drawing, her pencil stroke now a little more quick. "I just wish she could have met you and Ratchet. On better terms. She would have loved you guys."

"Forgive me. For not doing more. I vowed not to let harm come to humans and I am slipping." Optimus shook his head, but he heard Maria sigh.

"It's not your fault. And I don't blame you. You saved a lot of people too. You put your life on the line for us, and you don't have too, so the least I can say is thank you for that. Besides, my mom wouldn't want me to be sad. She was always the one pushing me the most. She taught me to do all I can for others, so please let me do all I can for you. If I can help in any way to find the people who are doing this to you then let me."

Optimus recognized the determination on her face. Like so many other humans he had met, she was one of the good ones.

"You're rather wise for your age."

"I'm sure you are wiser. What are you, a few hundred years old?"

"A few Eons."

"Even better."

* * *

The moon reached its peak in the sky. Fresh moon beams splashed over Optimus' shoulders, reflecting the light back. Maria was asleep in the chair on the balcony.

"Ratchet." Prime transformed, high beams piecing the night, "I'll be back, I'm going to scout the area to make sure we are safe. Watch Maria, radio in if you have any problems."

"Be careful." Ratchets blue optics where the only thing that could be seen in the night. He watched Optimus' tail lights till they were out of sight before turning to the house.

"Maria." The medical bot spoke softly, though his heavy footsteps shook the house enough to wake her.

"Hmm?" She stretched, yawning.

"I made this for you, in case you ever need us when we are not around. Since you want to help us, you will need to be able to communicate with us." His arm extended and in his palm was a large golden ring, about the size of a hula-hoop.

"Wow you shouldn't have." Sarcastically climbing into his hand she picked it up, surprised at how light it was. Before she could sass him on the size of it, it transformed onto her wrist, taking the shape of a large golden bracelet. "Oh..."

"It will allow you to speak to Optimus and I. Not only that but it has a tracking beacon in it."

"If I get lost, good."

"I wish that were the case most of the time. Seriously though, this will help you help us." He stepped back and watched her play with it. "I designed it only for you, so if anybody takes it and tries to use it, it won't work."

"How did could you get it to work for only me?"

"When you were hurt in the scrap yard...may have taken some of the blood and made it." He rubbed the back of his metal neck.

"Gross...but sure." Maria put her hand down and looked past Ratchet. "Headlights."She was squinting before her eyes shot wide. "Oh no!"

"Wha-"

"Hide! Now!" Running though her room and downstairs, she shot through the front door. "Ratchet hide!" Flailing her arms at him, he looked around franticly before transforming and driving close to the side of the house.

The car pulled up to the top of the driveway. Sitting there menacingly for a moment, the headlights turned off and the door opened.

"Dad?"

"Were you expecting someone else?" Her father climbed out of the car, brushing himself off.

"You said you were going to be gone for a few days, it's only been two!" She was frantic, blocking him from viewing ratchet who's front end was still visible.

"Thing's didn't turn out right. The robots...didn't function like we hoped." He really looked at her. "Are those cuts? Look at the size of them! Were you in that god damn scrap yard?!"

"Dad."

"Maria what did I say. Don't go there. You're going to get yourself killed."

" I told you, I'm fine. I can handle myself rather well." She saw him eying Ratchets bracelet. Yanking her arm away she gave him a dirty look.

"Why can't you just-" The man was cut off by his phone ringing. "-hold on." Walking away from her, Maria turned and motioned for Ratchet to move back a little more, and he did.

"What? Here? How is that possible? How could they have a made it all this way that fast?" Wiping around, he scanned the yard. "Are you sure you are detecting the energon? Are you certain?"

Maria looked at her father, overhearing.

"Send the team."

"No..." Running towards her father she grabbed the phone. "Not you dad not you! Tell me it's not you!" She hung on his arm.

"Maria what is wrong with you."  
"You're kidnapping the transformers!"

"Wha- how did you..." He shook her off with a hard jerk which threw her onto the ground. "We are not kidnapping them."

"Then what! I saw what you did! I saw it! Not only are you taking them but you are wounding them to the point they cannot fight back! That's how you take them!"

"Maria listen to me," Kneeling down by his daughter, he sighed and ran a hand though his hair, "It is for the better of mankind that we study them. Take what we can from them."

"You can't take what is not yours!"

"Wrong, they are on our planet, so they are not ours. Have you forgotten what they did to your mother. I won't allow that to happen again."

"It wasn't their fault! Mom wouldn't do this!"

"Maria, I'm only doing my job. Catch whatever I can and send them to the labs."

"What are you doing to them there?" She was furious as she climbed back to her feet.

"Taking them apart once piece at a time-" His head jerked to the side as Maria cracked him over the face.

"I should have known...it explains the trips...the parts in the scrap yard...I was so blind..." Her hands turned to fist as choppers flew over head, their spotlights on them.

"Energon detected." A pilot sounded over the com. The light zoomed over to Ratchet who's engine roared. Zooming around he skidded and rolled, transforming.

"Maria get down!" Ratchet jumped, his huge hand knocking the tail off one of the copters. Spinning out of control, the copter crashed in the corn fields. Maria ran, her father close behind, trying to grab her.

"What have you done!"

"Saved him!" Punching him with all she had, he let her go and she scrambled. "Ratchet run!" Sprinting though the front yard, she watched the medical officer hold up his arm, blocking a shot from one of the copters. Unfortunately it was a grapple, tangling around him. "Ratchet No!" More grapples were fired, grabbing his legs, arms, and chest.

"Gah!" Ratchet struggled, yanking with all his strength but there where to many of them.

"Dad stop them! Please dad!" Maria was close to Ratchet now, grabbing onto one of the cables that held his leg. Pulling on it in hopes of snapping it, she was throw to the side when Ratchet tried to move around.

"Maria get away!" Ratchet kept struggling, not expecting the intense electric shock that coursed though the cables. He howled, throwing his head back his body convulsed and he fell forwards. It was in slow-mo for Maria, watching Ratchet hit the ground, she reached a hand to him but it was too late.

"Take him." Maria's father spoke into his phone.

"Stop!" She cried, but her cry was drowned out by a loud horn. "No..." She turned, seeing Optimus speeding towards them. "No Optimus! No! Turn around! Turn around!" She didn't realize she was running, running though the corn field in his direction. Flailing her arms at him in warning. "Turn around! Run Optimus! Please!" She felt the rush of air as Optimus flew by her, but he slide though the corn and turned. Transforming he ran at her, grabbing her in his big hand before transforming again and taking off.

"Keep your head down!"

"They got Ratchet! They took him! It has been my dad this whole time. Optimus..." She was sobbing, shaking so hard she was afraid she would fall out of the seat. "They took him and I couldn't stop him. "Oh my god..." She cried and cried as he drove away. His mirrors looked behind, no followers, to occupied with their new catch. "Optimus I'm so sorry..."

"Maria," The truck said, "we will get him back, I promise."

**"I'm so sorry Ratchet."**


	5. The Hunt

**Hello! Sorry I posted this late! I had finished this chapter Last night but when I was going to save the document WORD CRASHED! And because I have bad luck the document never recovered and Now what you are about to read is the second rendition of this chapter. Though hopefully that prompts it to be a little better.**

* * *

Optimus drove for a long time, so long it felt like he would never stop. Cars passed by, there headlights flashing though his windshield, revealing Maria to be hunched over in the passenger seat. She had cried, for as long as he drove she sobbed. Cursing herself and her father. Cursing herself for not protecting Ratchet better. She cursed and cursed before finally she fell quiet and all that could be heard was soft sniffling. Running her arm across her face she wiped her nose and sighed.

"Maria..." Optimus was the first to speak, "It's alright." He wasn't surprised at her loud exhale of frustration.

"No it's not alright...not at all. Optimus my dad is the cause, and I feel like I am too. All this time..." She slammed her fist down on the seat. "How many years has he been doing this..."

"We will find him." He drove on.

"No," Straitening herself up right, she glared, "We will get him back, no matter what. No matter what. I promise that." Looking out the window, she could see fog forming, sunrise was in a few hours.

"We have to locate where they are transporting him too first." Pulling off the road, Optimus slowly rolled into a heavily wooded area. The fog and trees would help conceal them from any choppers that might have followed. Backing into a dense area of trees, his engine settled. "Then we can move, until then it is best for us to lay low for a while. No doubt they are still out looking or both you and I." His headlights died down and all that could he heard where the crickets.

"My dad has several of his companies spread out though the country. I only know where two are located. One is in New York, and the other is in California. From here New York is only four hours, so that is our best shot." Rubbing her arms, Maria gritted her teeth. "If I can get into the building, I can should be able to get access into the main computer. From there I should be able to find something on what they will be doing with Ratchet."

"You know how to hack a computer?" The Prime sounded a little surprised.

"Hell no, but if it really is my dad's company...I have a hunch at what the pass-codes will be."

"And if they are not."

"I have not gotten that far yet, but I'm hoping I don't have too." Yanking up the lock on Prime's door, she jumped out. His headlights beamed.

"What are you going? Get back inside, it's not safe out."

"I have something I need to do first. I need to go back home."

"It's too dangerous."

"I know but I have to do this. I'll be back at sunrise. I just need to get a few things and clear some stuff up before we go." She started walking to the main road, but Optimus rolled after her. "Optimus," She turned on her heels to face his grill, "Please, stay here, I don't want them to find you. Just wait for me. I'll come back."

"If you are not back when you say...I am coming after you." Backing back into his spot, his lights died down and he was like any other truck on the road.

Nodding, she ran, ran faster than she ever had in her life, it was now or never for her.

* * *

Donny nearly fell back out of his office chair when Maria came crashing through his door. He stood immediately and went to her.

"Maria what the hell is going on?"

"Donny...!" She was winded, sucking in air as if it was the last she would ever get. "Don I need you to listen to me."

"Maria slow down, what's happening. You father was here a few hours ago looking for you."

"That's just it," She leaned against the wall, panting, "Don't tell him anything about me anymore if he asks. It's really important that he has no idea what I am about to do."

"What are you about to do? You look like you just went through hell."

"You have no idea. One of the cars you brought me for scrap...was a Transformer. And I saved its life. And it was all fine from there until dad came home. He's been the one capturing the transformers."

"What do you mean I don't understand, since when have they gone missing?"

"Doesn't matter, I doubt normal people would even know, but I do, and I have to fix it."

"Maria you cannot involve yourself with those things! You saw what happened to Chicago! Your mother!"

"I know, but I have to do this. I have to. I don't expect you to agree with it...I just came to tell you that I-" Donny cut her off.

"-Might not come back." A look of sorrow crossed his face. "Maria..."

"I just had to tell you, this is important to me Donny. I have to. Mom would."

"I know she would...you look just like her right now." He turned and went to his desk and shuffled around. "Take this." He held up a pistol to her. "It's fully loaded." She didn't take it right away, but when she did she looked it over. "I don't know how well it will work against a Transformer...but at least it's something. The safety is on. Just be careful."

"I will..." She left, and Donny watched her, instant regret on his face.

"Just come back alive kid."

* * *

Creeping though the cornfields, she stayed low, keeping an eye out for anything that moved. Reaching its edge, she waited a moment before stepping out of her cover and into her yard. If not for the circumstances, this would have been a normal night for her.

No cars in the driveway, if what Donny said about her father going to him, he must have been on his way to one of his labs with Ratchet. Which gave her run of the house, though she wasn't sure it was safe.

The front door was unlocked, just like she left it. Creeping in, she listening, nothing but silence. Waiting a moment, she crept into the main hall and stood there a moment. After listening as hard as her ears could for any alien sound, she bolted to her room. Grabbing a bag not like her normal one she slung it over herself. Grabbing her normal beaten up bag she began ramming things into it. Reaching into her closet and yanking up a floor bored she pulled out a small box, containing a few hundred dollars she had been saving up. If she was in it for the long haul with Optimus, she was going to need money for food and other things. Running back down the stairs, she opened the fridge and stuffed several bottles of water into the bag then several energy bars. yanking open some kitchen drawers, she found a large knife and took it with her, luckily it had a protective cover so she would be able to keep it in her bag without having to worry about it piercing though.

Optimus watched the sun peak on the horizon, worried his engines roared to life and he pulled towards the road. before his tires touched the pavement he saw a dot in the distance that slowly began to get larger. Pulling forwards a little more, he waited. Maria peddled as hard as she could, her bike flying down the side of the road she saw Optimus and waved to him. As she reached him she hopped off the bike before even slowing down and let it go flying into the brush.

"Ready?" She said watching the bike do a few flips before landing out of sight. "I don't really know how to get to New York though. Probably should have mentioned that earlier." She wiped sweat from her forehead.

"Don't worry about that." His passenger door opened and she tossed her bags in and climbed in herself.

"I grabbed some stuff for me and this," She put the black bag on the floor, "Its a portable welder that I invented so to speak. It doesn't always want to work for me though. But when it does it is just as good as the big welder. Figured if we come across any bots who need fixing...I can help...at least a little bit. Ratchet was still teaching about your anatomy." Leaning back she exhaled, absolutely exhausted.

Optimus was on the road again, headed for the big apple. Maria stared out of the window for a long time before her eyelids became heavy. She had not realized she had not slept in the longest time and was drained. Laying across the trucks seats, she closed her eyes and let out one final sigh before being out instantly.

* * *

Ratchet couldn't see or hear anything, the only thing he knew was that he was laying on a cold metallic floor. Forcing his optics online, they blinked several times before beaming the bright blue like always. He groaned, feeling all his nerves aching from the harsh elector shocks he was treated too.

"Good to see you awake." A familiar voice said to the right of him. As much as he didn't want to sit up, he put all he had into doing so. Straitening up, he looked to the side with blurry vision. He tried to move his hands but felt them bound behind his back.

"You."  
"Yes me." Maria's father walked around the huge cage they had Ratchet in. With a quick glance he would see that there were several other cages around him as well. Some empty, some containing Insecticons, some large and some small. "Welcome to our first stop on the road to deconstructing you." He laughed and walked around the cage.

"Do you have any idea of what you have done." Ratchet growled, anger filling his optics like never before.

"I have captured yet another willing test subject to further my research into your kind. I have another robot in my hands to do with as I please. Your kind has done nothing but bring destruction and deaths. So now we are returning the favor." He gestured to the whole room. "Though you are lucky enough to not be staying here in this lab, we are moving you and some parts to another location for testing. So don't get to comfortable or you will end up like your friend over there." He pointed behind him, in a second lab room a bot was strapped face down onto a table. He was struggling and panicking, though he looked familiar.

"Starscream?" Ratchet whispered before seeing a blade drop down and sear one of his wings off. Starscream was struggling harder than Ratchet had ever seen. The wings clattered to the ground as the decepticon in distress howled in agony. Energon sputtered from the fresh wound running down the nub that was left of his wing. "you're going to kill him if you keep doing that!" Not that Ratchet really cared for the jerk, but as of right now the two of them were trapped in the same chop shop.

"You should worry about yourself." He laughed as the blade ran again and sliced off Starscreams remaining wing. Ratchet turned his head away, flinching as the wing hit the ground.

"This won't bring your wife back." He said after Starscreams howls quieted down. The man jerked around, a horrifying amount of fury on his face.

"SILENCE!" Slamming a button on a terminal next to the cage, a large bolt shocked Ratchet. "I will kill every one of you with my bar hands if I have too!"

"Maria won't let you." Ratchet had his face pressed to the bottom of the cage, panting as his nerves screamed in pain. Fist clenched, he glared at the man.

"She doesn't have what it takes to come save you. She's still only a child."

"That's what you think of her, but she is stronger than that."

"Hmph." He turned his back to the medic and snapped for his men to move him out to transport.

**"She will crush you."**


	6. Breaking and Entering

Optimus was quiet the whole ride to New York, making sure he didn't disturb Maria from her slumber. She was still spread across the seat, her head on her beat up bag, out cold since sun rise. Even though New York traffic she never budged until finally Optimus spoke to her though his radio.

"I believe we have arrived." More like arrived in New York traffic. Maria opened once eye, looking up out his window to see only blue sky. Sitting up and stretching she yawned.

"The city is right there," Pointing to all the clustered buildings, she knocked on his door, "Optimus you won't be able to come with me into the building. Your size for an obvious reason. I also don't want you to get to far into the city, traffic will hold you up if and I would rather you stay in truck form."

"What if you need help?"

"Don't worry, I'll be taking to you the whole time." She tapped the golden bracelet. "Just don't get to close to the building, the last thing I want is to have delivered another one of you guys to my dad." Shuffling though her beat up bag she pulled out a flash drive and jammed it into her pocket. "Get close to central park, the building I need to get into is only a few blocks of a walk away."

"I'll patrol around while you are inside." Lurching forwards in traffic, Optimus moved down tight streets, using his brute force to move though traffic faster. Coming up on the park, he pulled to the side as well as he could and stopped. "Be careful...and good luck."

"Don't worry about me," Hopping out she closed the door and pat it, "I have so much adrenalin running though me right now I think I could take on a transformer." She laughed but he didn't. "Just stay out of sight." Slinging her black bag over her shoulders, she walked.

* * *

Even though Maria has not been to the New York company since she was a little girl, it was still just a huge and impressive now. It towered over several buildings around it, though Maria wasn't interested in the top floors. All the labs had been built underground, she remembered when her mother would take her here to visit her dad. They never went up the elevator, always down.

"Okay...okay...let's do this...deep breaths." Shaking her hands out she grabbed the big door and pulled. The main hall was busy with workers running around, nobody paying attention to her. Using the crowds as cover from the receptionist, she crept to the elevator, which had a pass-card slide next to the buttons.

"Please work...Please work...Please work..." Maria slid out a card from her pocket, rubbing the barcode side on her pant legs first before sliding the card though. Nothing happened for a moment, then the indicator light turned green and the doors slid open. "Yes...Thanks dad for not erasing mom out of the system..." Sliding her mother's key card back into her back pocket she got on and pressed down.

Expecting two lab workers to be standing on the other side of the door when it opened, she maintained a fighting stance. Surprised when nobody was there, she shrugged and continued sneaking around.

"I'm in Optimus." Maria spoke into the bracelet. Hiding behind a table, she peeked over it. The lab was huge, two large rooms connected together by a large hall. One lab for test trials and main drop off while the other connecting room was the lab workers working stations. She watched for a while, watching only a few of the workers cross the rooms.

"Do you see Ratchet anywhere?" Optimus sounded.

"No...but I can the corners of cages in one of the rooms. I'm going to make my way over there and access the main terminal if I can." She crawled for a while, using the tables as cover as long as she could before she had to make the run from the hall to the subject room. Two workers walked by as she pressed herself against the wall, luckily they didn't see her and she whipped the corner into the room. "Damn, should have been a ninja instead of an artist." Laughing to herself, before looking around.

Hundreds of cages, some filled with metallic looking beetles and others empty. Though there was a large gap that seemed like a cage had been there and moved. As she inspected further she was hit with something rather wet. It knocked her right off her feet.

"Disgusting fleshy human!" The large bot hissed, slamming his bound hands on the bars. he spit at her again.

"Stop!" She crawled back quickly, trying to wipe the fluid off her. "I'm not one of them!" She noticed one side of the cage covered with blue liquid, a familiar liquid Ratchet had been leaking when he had been hurt. "Are you hurt?" Standing, she saw the main terminal and rushed to it. Sliding her pass-card again, she was granted access. "Perfect." typing away quickly she jammed the flash drive into its slot.

"Hurt?! Hurt?!" He sounded insulted. "You earth creatures have destroyed everything! First you pull apart the Insecticons! Then you take my wings. Me! Starscreams wings!"

"I said I'm not with them! Stop yelling they will hear us!"

"If you are not with them then let me out of this blasted thing." He slammed the side of the bars again, making a horrible grinding noise.

"I'll let you out when I am done, but you have to do me a favor."

"Never."

"Then you can stay where you are." Information popped up on screen, and as it did she read and transferred it. "Damnnit!" She slammed her fist down. Bringing her hand back up she spoke. "He's not here. They moved him to a different location." Expecting to hear Optimus reply quickly, only static followed. "Hey are you there?" Shaking her wrist she cursed.

"Rescue plan gone wrong?" The decepticon mused and laughed, getting a nasty look from the girl he leaned back. "Fine, if you let me out I'll help you do whatever you want and that's it!"

"I need you to destroy the lab. Everything in it, all the computers anything that has information on it."

"Fine, gives me an opportunity to find where they put my blasted wings." He waited for her to finish and pull the drive out before moving to the terminal next to his cell.

"If you help me get out of here as well I will try to repair your wings." She slid the card again, watching the screen go green and the door slide open. Stepping out, Starscream held his shackled hands to her to open as well. As they dropped to the floor he stretched.

"Deal." Grabbing the girl rather roughly, he threw her down on his shoulder. "Hold on." Lifting his huge foot, it came down on the equipment. Metal and sparks flew as he kicked around everything. The fire alarm and main building alarms started to sound and lab workers scattered at the robot rampage. "Run you flesh bags run!" Sideswiping tables with his arms he moved through the building. Making his way to the smaller cages he yanked the doors off, freeing the Insecticons. They buzzed around, flying though the walls and breaking though the ceiling to the next floor.

Optimus is going to be so pissed., Maria thought as Starscream suddenly stopped.

"There...my wings." Both of his sheared off wings were laying in a cart, ready for transport. Picking them both up with one hand he looked up. "Going up."

Crashing through the floor, Starscream jumped onto the main lobby entrance. Rubble scattered all over, knocking out the windows and doors. Maria was thrown off, her back hitting the ground and knocking the wind right from her lungs.

"AH!" She cried, rolling onto her side sucking air greedily, "I broke my back...I definitely broke my back." Wheezing, she could barely see Stascream from all the smoke. He leaned down, picking her up and placing her back on his shoulder. "Hurry! If we don't leave soon they will send the choppers to recapture you."

"That's not going to happen." Ramming though the main entrance, the decepticon entered the crowded streets. Stepping on a few parked taxies, he took off running down the streets.

"You have to get out of sight! Get out of the city! That way!" She pointed straight ahead. If he ran fast enough he could make it out of the central city and into the crowded outskirts. He did as told, running as quickly as his legs would take him. The wings clanged together in his hands as he jumped down onto a railway. "Follow the tracks, they should lead us to a train depot."

"What is that?" He followed her direction, running a long ways before spotting a huge building.

"That go into that!" She held tight as the bot ducked into the building, though it was crammed with run down and rusted trains. "Put me down." She was already trying to climb off of him.

"Here." Dropping her off he watched her close the huge sliding doors.

"We should be safe in here from the choppers if they send them."

"And what about my wings, I did as you asked, not you help me." He dropped the jet wings before her, shaking the ground and almost knocking her over.

"Put me on top of that train." Pointing he picked her up and set her down. "You will have to hold it on your back while I fix it, I cannot hold it by myself." Pulling off her black bag, she removed the welder and the torch, she cursed a few times when she couldn't get it to light but after a few minutes it roared to life. "Ready."

* * *

Starscream sat silently as Maria worked, welding this size of metal back on took a long time for her. She made sure the seal would hold before continuing on. Finishing one, she allowed him to let it go to test if it was sturdy. He flexed it and it remained in place.

"Not bad for a human." He snorted and picked the other up, putting it into place for her.

"Not bad for a Decepticon." Sparks flew as the fire licked his metal skin. "How did you get caught." She asked, still working.

"Ambush. They came out of nowhere. Couldn't take them all in at once. They had me and my men down before we could even react. I guess that's how desperate they are for our parts."

"What are they doing with them?" She was half way down now.

"Tsk...like I would know." He rolled his red eye, rather ticked off at the thought that they had almost taken his wings. "You came into that place looking for someone. The only other autobot I saw in there was that Medical unit Ratchet."

"He was there?" The flame stopped and she looked up at him.

"Keep fixing!" He snapped, watching her go back to work. "He was, but not for long. Like all the other big bots he was taken away, somewhere else. Who knows what they are going to do with them." He sounded less than amused, more like he had bad taste in his mouth.

"Done." Stepping back and turning her touch off, she looked at her work. Two lines shown on his wings were they had been cut, if anything it looked now as if he had scars. "That is the best I can do."

Starscream stood, being careful not to hit his head on any of the low beams in the building. Flexing both of the wings now he let out a sigh. The wings moved a bit before he turned to her.

"They feel like new again." he leaned down, his eyes now level with hers. "I am in debt to you."

"Not really. Just doing what I do..." She put away her welder and slung the bag on. As she was about to say more to him the front doors of the building were shot open, and a truck came though. Transforming and crashing into Starscream, Optimus had his rifle placed to the flyers temple.

**"Don't move."**


	7. The Truth

**Hello guys! Sorry this took me so long! I had a problem with College WHICH I have fixed now and am all set to start the next year. But I also wanted to think about where this story was going since I had 2 possible ending for it, It took me a while but I think I have settled on it. This story was supposed to be based on an Old G1 episode but I changed my mind and now you will be getting the second ending I planned for it. Though that is a few chapters away don't worry!**

* * *

Starscreams face dug into the ground, Oprimus' rife jammed into his cheek. The Decepticon panicked and struggled, kicking at the Prime and hissing at him.

Maria was on her back, a look of sheer horror on her face as she watched the Prime push Starscream down. She had never seen him like this, never seen him outside just driving and walking around. In the midst of battle, he was terrifying.

_I can't move._ She thought, hearing the sound of the rifle building up a shot. _Come on move._ Slowly, she stood on shaking legs. Taking one step she fell down, wheezing. Holding her side she realized when she fell from Starscream she must have broken a few ribs.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot I beg of you!" Starscream grabbed the barrel of the rifle, trying to push it aside. He turned his head and reached for her, "Tell him!" He was jerked back down.

"Optimus stop!" Maria shouted, managing to crawl over to Starscream. "Please don't kill him! He helped me!" She coughed before watching Optimus think. He pulled back, his mask sliding back into the side pockets on his face.

"See! See! Now get off me!" The bot was furious, though when Optimus stepped off of him he was quick to scurry behind Maria, as if she was much cover. "As she said...I helped the fleshy..." Quickly brushing himself off, he remained behind her for cover.

"Don't worry about him Optimus." Maria stepped forwards, holding up the disk-drive. "I have what we need. But I didn't find Ratchet. Starscream said they moved him."

"Yes...like all the others...they take the ones who have...better skills to different locations-" He jerked back when Optimus moved closer to him.

"For what."

"I don't know...I didn't have time to ask when they butchered my wings." Stretching them, he made a point to emphasize the scares on them.

Optimus was for a long time before letting out a loud sigh. "Starscream, can you at least tell us anything that they might have said or did to any others. Not just Autobots, but Decepticons too. We already know this battle is not between us."

"And what would I get in return for telling you..." Snorting he turned and crossed it arms.

"You get to leave here in once piece." His temper rose, not appreciating the arrogant tone.

"Fine...fine," Turning back, he spat to the side, "We were caught by surprise. Thinking there was a fallen Decepticon ship, we followed the tracking beacon. Turns out the humans staged a trap for us. They shot Megatron down first." he chuckled a bit, "Not that a blame them, he is the biggest." He picked dirt out from the side of his face and continued, "It was only he and I that had responded, we had already lost Barricade and a few of the Constructicons. Shame they were useful." He could see Optimus getting impatient, "Uhh...anyway...I couldn't react fast enough and was shot down as well. The two of us crashed down and when I got up all I saw was Megatron fighting off hordes of humans. Little insects." He snapped. "They entrapped him in cables and he couldn't cut them fast enough. I tried to help, but I didn't even get close to my mater before they were crawling all over me! Jabbing me and bounding me. By the time they had subdued my master I was being taken down as well. They hauled him into a truck and took off, I didn't go with him, I was taken to the lab your pet found me at."

"Her name is Maria and you are lucky she was kind enough to fix you." His face got close to Starscreams, making him tense and swallow hard.

"Ah...right...when they took me I offline in the truck. Waking in the lab, I must have been there for a few earth days before they brought your medic there. Megatron was not with me, instead I got the pleasure of Insecticons. But from what I did notice, the humans were draining them of their energon. Till they where husks and metal. Then they deconstructed them and put them in crates and took them away. To where...I do not know. I myself became a victim!" His wings sagged and he put a hand to his forehead. "They constantly took energon from me, leaving me so drained some days I couldn't get up. Why they didn't just drain me dry like the others I also do not know. But I have a feeling with all of the parts they are taking from us and our life blood...they are up to something. Something I am relieved I am out of."

"For now." Optimus looked at Maria, who was standing but hunched. "Is that all?"

"That is all I know...Your pet might have more on her device. They always cataloged everything they were doing on that computer, so you might figure out something."

"Good..." Optimus held his rifle up to Starscream, and he jumped back, hitting the back of the building, causing the metal to rattle. "W-what are you doing!?"

"Leave. And do not let me catch you again." The rifle followed Starscream all the way to the door till he transformed and took off.

Kneeling down, Optimus held out his hand for Maria. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah...I'm okay." She was dirty, covered in dust and some blood from little cuts she managed to get from bursting though the ceiling with Starscream. "A little shaken but alright."

"Good. What did you learn?"

"That Ratchet was not here. But hopefully there was some good information on this disk." Looking at the black drive, she closed it on her fist. "It will take time to look over so I think it's best if we stay low. Some of this data is probably coded, I can probably get through what my father locked but anything else is just a guessing game."

"Then let us find somewhere to rest for the night." Transforming, Optimus opened his door for her.

* * *

Optimus settled on the outskirts of the city, hidden well in a parking lot with several other big rigs like himself, he was well hidden. Killing his lights, the only noise to be heard was the city a few miles away.

"I don't think I could live in a place like this." Pulling out a beat up lap top, Maria plugged in her drive. "To much noise. Plus you can't even see a single star in the sky. Guess I'm just used to the quiet and crickets." Typing away, she was quiet before clicking on a video that she managed to download. "There are some video diaries in here. Some are dated from years ago, and some are only a few days old." Clicking on the first video, it had a time stamp from eight years ago.

"The bonding process is still in motion." A lab worker said strait into the camera. "So many variables, and not enough test subjects. We have started pulling random people off the streets." The camera panned so several people locked down on tables. "Though their sacrifice will make mankind a better place." The video suddenly cut.

"What do you think that meant?" Optimus spoke though his radio.

"I don't know but they were using humans for whatever it was. No bots yet." Clicking on the next video it was time stamped three years after.

"Tragic results." It was the same worker. "Only one injection leads to intense anger and rage. Patients showing unreal strength. Though within only twenty minutes after injection...total system failure." The camera panned to different people on tables. They were screaming and jerking. Some in violent seizures. "So far, only two have lived for over an hour, though their vitals are decreasing as we speak, I feel they will not make the morning." The video cut again, this time the new Video started with a transformer.

"Are you seeing this..." Maria said softly, hearing Optimus him in response. She watched.

"Removing Energon from these creatures has become easier. With new technology and better equipment, we can drain them dry and make new doses for the next round of tests." The camera panned to the Transformer, she didn't recognize him. He struggled, shouting and thrashing, only becoming weaker and weaker as his life source was drained. "From the beginning we used to just inject the energon right into the body, but we learned that the human system cannot take the direct contact with the Energon at all. We have learned to synthesize it into something better, something the human body can adapt to and evolve. Observe." The camera moved to a single man on a table, he was struggling and cursing at the doctors.

"I know that bot..." Optims said as the camera was being brought closer to the subject. "It is Mirage..."

"Here, we have subject 206" The doctors moved around the distressed man, one holding a needle while the rest stood by. "He is the first in the line Project Evolve." Nodding to the other doctor, he leaned over and injected the fluid right into the man's neck. Within seconds he had his back arched off the table, screaming. Fist clenching, something amazing began to happen. Slowly, the man's skin became transparent, and Maria could see the table though him.

"Oh my god..." A hand covered her mouth as the man finally was fully invisible. The doctors cheered and shook hands, only returning their attention to the test subject when he began to reappear. Blood was oozing from his nose, eyes glowing white. The spot where they had injected glowed a light blue, the same color as the transformers energon.

"Fantastic!" The doctors bustled around and the camera was taken away, showing Mirage again now. "How does it make you feel?" He spoke to the transformer, "To know you will be the creator of human who can turn invisible?" The video cut, and Maria didn't click the next one right away.

"I...I don't think I understand fully..."

"Your kind may believe that combining their genetic material with ours that they will make better humans. From the data on the videos, they suggest that they want specific powers. Mirage always had the ability to blend in, while others didn't. All of my kind has one special trait no other has. I feel as though your kind may have figured that out and want it for themselves."

"But they are killing you off for them...I can't let that happen...it's not right."

"No doubt Mirage is dead now..." Optimus fell silent for a while, only speaking when Maria clicked to the next and final video. "The last one you said is from only a few days ago?"

"Yeah...about five days to be exact." Clicking the video is opened up in a large room, several soldiers were all standing in a line.

"Here, we have the first five successful bonded humans. Two with the ability to turn invisible, and the other three are our crown jewels. The last three can use telepathy." He sounded so smug. "Having gathered the remains of the beast they called 'The Fallen' we have managed to pinpoint the gene it used for this power. Having spent the past few years working on developing the serum to adapt to the body, we feel we have gotten close to finishing it. A demonstration." The camera turned to the men, two went invisible when instructed, but the other three only stood. Objects were set in front of them, only a few seconds later did they extend their hands. At first there was nothing, but then the objects slowly lifted and floated around the men. Several gasps could be heard off camera, but out of nowhere, one of the men dropped face down. The camera moved back to the doctor.

"Though we have been making tremendous strides in the research, it still has its flaws. For one, only subjects with any kind of strong will last longer than those how cannot control themselves. We started out with a total of fifty recruits and now have," He looked at the fallen soldier, "four left that are functional." The body was dragged away on the remaining soldiers went back into line. "With the proper dosages, they can maintain their powers, though going to long without one brings out the aggression we first saw when starting this project. With the more transformers we catch the more we are provided with new abilities and opportunities to evolve the drug." The video cut and the screen returned to the data feed.

"This is _crazy._.." Rooting though more information, she read a few data logs.

"We must find Ratchet as soon as possible. From what we know now, they could be draining him..."

"What about the guy Starscream mentioned?"

"Megatron?" Optimus wasn't sure how to answer. Though mortal enemies, he doubted he could leave Megatron in a place like that. "If we come across him...we will do what we can." He said no more.

"It says here in the logs that the lab they were doing this testing at is not far. In fact it's in Connecticut. Luckily that's not far. Probably another five hour drive but it's something. If they are still doing this testing there we should shut it down. Before my father can do anything else. Maybe by destroying one facility, he will get the idea."

"If it were only that simple young one. But I agree." His engines roared, pulling out of the lot and onto the road.

"Let's just hope there is something there that can help us get closer to ratchet."

* * *

"Sir...we have a problem." A man in a black suit said so Maria's father. Holding up an I-pad to him, it showed surveillance footage or Maria opening Starscreams cage. As it played he growled, watching her ride upon him and bust the lab open. "She managed to get access to some of the files."

"I don't doubt that..." Not looking up from the videos, he watched her hit the floor when Starscream jumped though the ceiling. A little amazed as to how she recovered so quickly. "Find her." Handing the I-pad back he turned and looked out the window of his office, looking down at the city below. "Capture her and perform project Evolve on her."

"But sir...are you sure? After what happened to your wife? You want to go through with this?"

"Yes." He inhaled deeply. "I don't care how you capture her, wave that bot she is looking for in her face to draw her and the other out. Just get her. She may be the key we are looking for. All these years..." He whispered. "Do whatever it takes. Don't stop her if she tries to break into another facility, let her in and trap her."

"Yes, sir."

**"It's only a matter of time."**


	8. Awakening

Optimus rolled into a motel parking lot, positioning himself in a spot that was in direct view of both the building and the main road.

"Optimus are you sure?" Maria didn't get out right away.

"You need rest."

"Yeah but I just feel rude leaving you outside. Not like you would fit in the building anyways but still."

"It's alright, I'll be fine. I will patrol around while you sleep. We can start again in the morning." He opened his doors, letting her slide. He watched her walk into the building before pulling away and back on the road. "If you need me just contact me." She heard though the bracelet.

"Right." Walking to the counter she asked for a room and paid the clerk and got her key. The motel itself was rather un down, something you expected when you came across one hanging out a few miles away from the city. Though it was as good enough place as ever to get some much needed sleep.

* * *

Tossing her bags down, she fell face down onto the bed. They were defiantly a lot softer than Optimus' seats for sure. She laid there for a long time before finally standing. Flicking the TV on, she began to strip her clothing off. Tossing them carelessly on the ground, she stood in the bathroom and turned the shower on. While it heated up, she leaned on the sink, staring at herself.

"You got yourself into some hell." She touched her hair, inspecting it before going back and getting the knife from her bag. Carefully she sliced some of the hair off, retuning her hair to its short form. Having done this for years she managed to make it look like a nice cut and less like a hack job. "That's better. Might as well look kind of presentable before I kick my bad in the throat." Putting the knife down she entered the shower and sighed.

Sucking in air though her teeth, she had to be delicate with her sides. Broken ribs left one side of her body black and blue and rather tender. The small cuts were tolerable and easily cleaned. Rinsing the last of the grime from herself, she washed her hair then stepped from the shower. Dressing herself in a new set of clothing, she sat on the bed and began to read through more of the data files.

"What are you planning..." She read and read for hours till a knot formed in her stomach. One file had been named after her mother. Sudden dread filled her as she selected it. If her mother had also been a part of this...she wasn't sure what she would do.

She scrolled through the articles but most of it had been blacked out. Nothing of intrest was found till the very end.

"Last injections have lead to the patient becoming unstable has been placed in the medical staffs hands. " She scrolled past some blacked out lines, reading the final line. "Patient terminated." She sat back. Her father had told her that her mother had died in the battle of Chicago, crushed. Maybe it was true. Maybe it wasn't. From what she managed to gather, they had also used her as a test subject, but it didn't day if she was willing or not. Some information she figured she would have to tear from her father himself. So be it.

Closing the laptop, she laid on her non wounded side and closed her eyes, but she couldn't sleep. Something inside of her was screaming to get out of this as fast as she could. Something inside of her was telling hr danger was close. All night she tried to push it down, managing to only get a few hours of sleep. When she left the next morning she looked just as tired as before if not more.

"Maria..." Optimus said though the radio.

"I'm fine. We need to hurry." She settled in the seat, though Optimus could feel something off about her.

"You have uncovered something new?" He drove, heading straight for the new facility.

"I...I don't know what to think of it." She put her head against his window and watched tree's pass buy. "There is a while file on my mother. But a lot of the information is missing...so it didn't really piece any of the puzzle together. In fact I think it put more into play. I have a really really bad feeling Optimus. Something is just screaming at me that something is wrong. I just don't know what yet."

"Do not worry. We will figure it out. We are a few hours way from our next destination. Sit tight. Hopefully at this next location, we can learn a bit more."

"I hope so too."

* * *

"Is everything ready?" Maria's father was shuffling though some papers, then he fixed his tie.

"Yes sir, everything you have ordered has been placed. The teams are ready when you call for them. The lab is also ready to receive."

"Excellent." He was smiling. "If the test we had done all those years ago prove to have worked, we have finally made a leap in human evolution." He spun, pulling files out of a cabinet and walking out of his office with the guard.

"Sir, are you sure? This type of thing could kill her."

"Don't worry. I know my daughter. She is a fighter, always have been. Except to have a hard time intercepting her. With the Prime with her she is well protected." He looked at his watch. "Deploy the team before they reach their target, shake them up a bit, then let them get away."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Optimus' engines roared as he suddenly picked up an alarming speed. he had noticed traffic getting thinner and thinner till he was the only one left on the load strip of roadway.

"What's wrong?" Maria sat up and leaned forward, looking though his windshield to see only open road.

"I do not know yet. But it's coming-" He was cut off when something hit his rear. "Hold on!" The blast through the truck into a fishtail, sending him into the ditch. "Stay low." Pulling out from the ditch he went into overdrive and sped down the road. Keeping his mirrors locked on the hummers behind him, he swerved when another blast was fired at him. Maria watched it slam into the ground, sending dirt and rocks up over Optimus.

"They're gaining on us!" She shouted, seeing them moving into position in his mirrors. her heart was pounding. "What do we do!" She was panicking.

"We have to shake them."

"There are too many!" Shuffling though her bag, she pulled out the Pistol Donny had given her. "Open your window!"

Optimus swerved again, sending her to the other side of the cabin. Pistol still in hand, she gathered herself and leaned out the window. "I have never shot a gun before!" She shouted over the howling winds. "Can't be that difficult!" She fired, the kick back sending her arm back to hit Optimus' mirror. Though the shot sent one of the Hummers skidding.

"Aim for their tires!" Optimus could see an hummer on his right side, he quickly slammed into it, his size overpowering it rather easily and sending it careening off the road. Maria held on tight, leaning back out she took aim.

"I only have five rounds!" She fired another, missing the shot. "I suck at this!" She fired again, thrilled that it nailed a hummers tire this time. Though the vehicle was slowed it kept coming. "Optimus they just keep coming!" She fired rapidly know, seeing one of the bullets punch though the window and hit their hoods. "I'm out!" She leaned back in as a blast hit Optimus again. Fishtailing again, he transformed. Maria was thrown from his insides, though a rough catch left her wheezing for air. Optimus held her close to his chest, shielding her from other blasts. He turned, digging his pronged toes into the ground and took off running into the woods close to the road. He dodged trees and didn't look back. Keeping Maria in his hands he skidded to a stop and waited a moment.

"You can make it from here..." He set her down, not surprised when she heaved into the bushes.

"What?" Wiping her mouth she leaned on a rock. "What do you mean?"

"You have to reach the lab without me till I can shake them off of us." He had knelt down now.

"But what if they catch you?" She was handed her two backpacks.

"Do not worry. Just get to the next lab as quickly as you can. I will radio you once all is clear. Just..." He sat up, hearing the hummers catching up to them, "If anything go's wrong on your end...get out. As fast as you can, run as far as you can. I will find you." The soft smile on his face reassured her.

"Please be safe Optimus." With that she turned and started to run. Optimus watched till she was out of sight before turning to the enemies.

"You have made a grave mistake today." Duel orange blades slide from his wrists.

Peeking around a tree, Maria watched the facility. Though it was in the middle of the woods, it was only right outside a small town not a few miles away. Though it was not like the cities, it was still a massive building. Feeling lucky, she took off once she caught her breath. Making it though a hole in the fence, she made her way to a side door. Another key card slot.

"Let's hope they have not updated since last time." Sliding her mother's card she was actually surprised that the door clicked open. "Morons." Letting herself in, she closed the door behind her. Taking a deep breath, she moved into the hall when she heard no footsteps. Coming to an intersection, she looked around. "Where is everybody?" The lack of guards or lab workers concerned her. The feeling returned in her stomach and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. A sudden gust of wind passed her and she froze. There was nothing but silence for a long time, so she started to move again. Then the gust hit her again. "hello?" She whispered, not really expecting an answer. She swallowed hard, continuing.

* * *

Reaching the lab, she opened the door only an inch and looked though. All empty of humans except the familiar large cages. Though in this lab there were several small examination tables along with large ones for transformers. Closing the door she leaned on the wall, her heart was pounding, something wasn't right. With trembling hands she pulled the knife out from her bag. "Okay...okay...relax Maria. Relax." Her hands still trembled. Setting the bags down, she entered, making sure to keep cover behind some of the desks until she could reach the center of the room.

Once she made it to the open, she still saw nobody. Lowering her hands and the knife, she looked around. All the labs looked identical. Some tools, same computer set up, except this time there was a car sitting in one of the cells. Slowly she went over to it.

"Hey!" She half whispered, knocking on the large bars. "Can you hear me?" She waited for a response but got none. For a moment she actually wondered if she was just talking to a car. It's green paint shimmered in the lab light, but other than that there was nothing standing out to her.

"Maria..." A voice was right by her ear. Twisting around, Maria held the knife up, pointing it at nothing. The room was still empty. "Maria..." It came again from her side and she slashed the air, but nothing again. She felt the gust of wind pass her side and she slashed, but she kept coming up with nothing.

"The soldiers..." She realized. "This can't be real...wake up, wake up." She closed her eyes, only hearing her name being called from several different locations. "_SHUT UP!_" Lunging forward, she tried to strike one, but was rewarded with a swift punch to the gut. Collapsing to the ground, her knife skittered across the floor. She reached for it, screaming when something stepped on her hand.

"Foolish child." She felt something wrap around her neck, hauling her up till she was at least a few inches off the ground. Grabbing at the invisible arm, she dug her nails into it, drawing blood, which she could see. "We are superior." A voice said from beside her. Before the soldier could react, Maria jerked her hand out, managing to touch him and get blood on him, not two were visible. She was thrown to the ground and kicked right in her already wounded ribs. Gagging and curling up, she could see the two soldiers moving around, they wiped the blood off and became invisible to her once more.

Maria crawled to the knife, only hearing their laughter before they kicked her again, they must have been kicking around the knife too because she could hear it skittering across the floor from time to time. She looked around as she was being attacked for anything she could use to get the upper hand.

_Fire Extinguisher._

Gathering everything she had she shot up, knocking the invisible attackers back as she grabbed the extinguisher. Pulling out the pin she aimed and sprayed. At first nothing was being hit but she moved forward quickly, covering the men in a white coat.

"Not so smart now are you!" She kicked one of them down, spraying him right in the face. She couldn't help but smile, cracking her already split open lip. "Teach you to fuck with me!" Blasting the next, she kept spraying till all three guys were on the ground groaning and rubbing their eyes. Throwing the empty extinguisher down, she sighed. "That sucked. Assholes..." Cracking her back, she looked over at the car in the cage then at the main terminal "Please, don't let this all be for nothing." Stepping over the guards, she was about to touch the keyboard when a loud whistle sounded followed by a wet smack. Jerking forwards and almost falling onto the computer, she let out a loud gasp.

"W-what..." Standing herself back up right, she looked over her shoulder. "I..." Reaching for the dart, she staggered. Grabbing for anything she could to keep her balance, she knocked almost everything off the desk.

"Target tagged." She looked over, seeing some medical staff and viable soldiers rising from behind some cover. "Move in." They advanced on her, and when she tried to get up, her legs simply wouldn't listen. Everything was going numb, and her vision began to grow hazy.

"Don't worry, it's only a tranquilizer dart. Nothing to fear." A familiar voice said.

"Dad..." She looked up, seeing her father's face. "What are you doing...what have you done." She grabbed his leg, trying to climb up him.

"Maria, listen," He knelt down, pulling her hands off rather easily. "You know my company and I are working to make the human race the top species. Weather it is robotics, medication, or anything to further ourselves. I did it a long time ago, and have been doing it since before you were born."

"Explain moms file on your data base. Was she just like you. Or did you trick her into something."

"Your mother..." He tapped his chin, "provided me with a new kind of tests. If I couldn't make soldiers with these profound abilities in the middle of their life span, what if I did it before they were born?" He pulled the dart from her shoulder, hearing her whimper. "We had a son before you Maira, though he died in the womb. I had tricked your mother into thinking the energon drug we crated was our new hormone for mothers. I know you know all about it now, I know what you took from the lab in New York. You saw the effects it had. But on a new born it had time to adapt and evolve with their life blood. The first baby did not live, it only made it a few months after birth before total system failure. After a few more years or advancing our drug, we tried again." He placed a hand under her chin, lifting her face till she was forced to look at him. " And here you are. Alive and well. Your blood and body hold what we need." His hand was slapped away.

"What makes you think I would give it to you you sick bastard." She spat.

"You don't have to give it to me, we are going to take it. In fact we are going to root around in you until we find it and take it from you." He snapped his fingers and two medics hauled her to her feet. "It's a shame you can't seem to use the abilities hidden in you. All your life I was watching for them. Maybe they are dormant, but either way we will find out." He stood and brushed himself off. "Prepare her for surgery. Take as much blood as you can without killing her. Take everything you can without killing her, she remains the only one who has lived this long with the project's drug in her blood." As he began to walk away, Maria struggled and screamed.

"Where is Ratchet!" Elbowing the doctors , she thrashed. "Where is he?! And what really happened to mom?!" She was restrained, pulled away from him and was slowly dragged to one of the many human sized tables.

"Don't worry about your ambulance. And your mother really did die in Chicago. Crushed. She may just not have been in the right state of mind with the drugs in her system." With that he turned and left her to fight.

"Let go of me!" She screamed, trying with what strength she had left to break free she was thrown back on the table. "OPTIMUS!" Screaming, she felt hot tears welling in her eyes. At least four different medics were holding her down as they cut her clothing off. They held her head still and placed a mask over her face, it only took a few seconds for her to feel groggy. Jerking up, she tore it off and tried again to get away, but the hands were there pushing her right back down. Things pricked her arms and she tried to pull them out but the more she fought the more tired she became.

With time she couldn't move at all, only let out soft whimpers and curse her father for all he had done. The mask was placed back over her face, and the doctors let her go, satisfied when she didn't put up a fight.

"Begin the procedure." The doctors shuffled around, with eyes barely open, Maria looked to the side, the green cars headlights flashing at her several times before darkness took her into its embrace.

"Open her. If what the boss says is right, we should see it right away." scalpels at the ready, they covered her in disinfectant and sliced down her belly. Opening her abdomen they all stood back in awe. "He was right..." A nurse said, taking blood. "All of her organs blue. Just like the natural Energon. Her body adapted to it..." Exploring more and more of her, they took biopsies of her organs. "Do a brain scan." The doctor who was inside of Marias stomach said. A nurse did as told, scanning her head and pulling up the results. "All brain activity normal, except for this region here. It's dark. It is the same region in all of our other test subjects. Though it is lit up when their abilities are active. Her body really did lay it dormant. Probably something that would have activated during puberty but she has passed that."

"Or Maybe it just needs a boost." The doctor motioned for two others to go to the green car. "Take a sample from that one and inject it straight into her. If her body really did evolve, then she should be able to withstand Energon in its purest form."

The two doctors who also brought guards went over to the cage. typing in a few things into the terminal, the whole cage lit up with electricity. The green car jerked up and transformed.

"Hey now that's really rude!" Leaning back against the bars he rubbed his head. "How long are you plannin on keepin me in this tin can?" He kicked the bars closest to the doctors who jumped back a bit. "Come on, lemme out of 'ere"

"Quiet beast, and extend your arm or you will get another shock."

"No need to be snappy. And the Name is Crosshairs. Not beast." He didn't lower his arm right away, which got him shocked again. Though when the doctors grew impatientwith him they just jabbed him with a special machine hanging inside of the cage and extracted a rather large amount of his life blood. "They hurts." He pulled away as the arm also retracted.

"Keep quiet." The doctors turned back to the station and put the large vile on a mount and watched it spin into a smaller container and into a vile. Filling a syringe, they brought it over and presented it. "Here you are." They handed it off, then watched the head doctor stick Maria's jugular. Watching the liquid disappear, all was silent except soft beeping of the heart monitor. At first nothing happened, but then the room started shaking. Slowly, the surgical tools lifted off their plates and hovered around, then the tables themselves began to lift. Everything shook and began to get violent. Blood seeped out of Maria's nose, still unconscious, but subconsciously tearing the lab apart.

"It worked!" The doctor ducked as a table was thrown. "The energon dosage woke her dormant part of her brain."He pointed at the now glowing spot on the brain scan. As things got thrown around faster everything suddenly shot up and dropped to the floor. "Amazing. Document this! No subject before her has ever been able to move that many things! That fast or high! This is groundbreaking! We have done it!" The doctor shook hands with others, then sewed Maria up. "Keep her under and place her in a holding cell." As they wheeled her to a cell close to Crosshairs, the ground rumbled under them. "What was that?"

"Probably just her again, now that her body has awakened, her body will now try to use this ability. Like blinking or breathing, it's just a thing we do without thinking about it." Locking her up, they walked away.

"And here I was thinking I had gotten the worse done to me." Crosshairs leaned down, looking though his bars to see the young girl. "Are humans actually an intelligent species?" he leaned back up and smiled at the rumbles. "Knock knock."

The walls erupted, alarms sounded and debris was thrown all over. Optimus rolled in, his rifle firing. Terminals erupted and desks went flying as the Prime rampaged. Kicking over things and smashing his arm down, he heard Crosshairs whistle to him.

"It's about time." He stood in the cell, waiting for his leader to let him out.

"The girl?" He stood, his mask snapping back.

"Oh she's _yours_?" He looked down to his right. "Well..." He watched Optimus smash the terminal controlling the doors to the cells, allowing him to push it open now.

"Oh no." Optimus tore open Maria's cell and picked her up with the utmost care. "Maria..." His optics zoomed in on her. She was almost completely white, most blood in her body just barely enough to keep her alive. "Let's go." Visible pissed off, Optimus held her close and began to bash his way out of the building. "Crosshairs! Grab the large terminal!" Crashing through another wall, he was outside. Transforming, he had Maria laying across his seats as he drove off into the woods. Crosshairs close behind, he transformed and followed. Optimus could hear choppers and hummers already on their way.

**"We **_must_** escape!"**


	9. Evolution

Optimus had laid Maria across his seats, doing his best to keep her still as he drove off. Crosshairs was close to his tail, his headlights reflecting in Optimus mirrors.

"We have followers!" Crosshairs jerked to the side, fishtailing himself and transforming. Rolling, he yanked out his guns and fired. The hummers scattered, some crashing, others still heading right for them.

"Distract them while I get Maria to safety!" Optimus lurched forwards, his engines roaring, not expecting to be sideswiped by a hummer. Knocking the Prime back, he transformed in time for his back to slam against a tree. Maria shielded in his hands he looked down at her. Blood was covering the side of her gown, and she looked more and more like a corpus. "Crosshairs!" Optums stood, kicking a hummers aside as he ran. "Cross-" he was blasted from behind, turning he saw a chopper with its spot light on him.

"Right here Prime!" Launching himself into the air, Crosshairs smacked the tail off the chopper. Landing rather roughly on the ground, he watched it spin out of control and slam into the ground. "What do we do?" Cocking his guns, he held them, up.

"Something risky..." Setting Maria down in the grass, he pulled Crosshairs away.

"Ditch the human, that could always work." He heard Optimus shush hum as moved away from her.

The hummers pulled up only a few minutes later, headlights focused on the girl in the grass. Men jumped from the cars and advanced on her, guns drawn, their flashlights hovered over her body.

"Sir, we found her." The soldier spoke into his com-link, kneeling down and touching the blood covered gown. "No sign of the Transformers, but in need of immediate medical team." He sat strait and looked around. Motioning for his other soldiers to look around while he attended Maria.

The guards walked around, going into the wooded areas around them, cautiously flashing there lights around for any movement. While the soldier working on Maria opened her gown to see her stitches were tearing in places.

"Shit." Grabbing his medical kit off his back he began to do a patch job. Working as quickly as he could, he bandaged her up and closed the gown. By the time he looked up, all his men were gone. "Soldiers?" He called into his com, getting no response. "Do you read me? Anybody?" Standing, he flashed is light into the woods, seeing nothing. Turning when he heard branches cracking, he jumped back when I body landed by his feet. Startled he fall back and shrieked. Then another came, and another, until his whole squad was on the ground around him groaning.

"Don't worry, they aren't dead, not yet anyway..." Crosshairs stepped from the darkness, his gun aimed at the remaining man. "But I am lookin to get back at you boys for what you did to me in there." His gun cocked and he smiled when the man tried to crawl back, only running into Optimus' foot. He gasped and stood, looking between the Autobots.

"D-don't kill me! I'm just doing my job." He fell when Crosshairs stomped his foot.

"Your job is wrong." Optimus said kneeling down to the man, his bright blue optics illuminating him. "You are not bettering mankind by doing this. Only destroying it." Leaning back, Optimus picked up Maria, she was still out cold. "Tell me human...what do you know." He was not surprised when the soldier didn't answer right away.

"Know? About what? Her? I only know what I was told."

"What are you planning on doing with what you have learned?"

"The...The boss said they are trying to make like...uh...super soldiers I guess. Better faster and stronger. It's always been a dream. To be almost un-killable. Like you." The soldier stood, though having nowhere to go since Optimus and Crosshairs were in his way.

"Even we are not indestructible."

"Maybe not, but you are a lot more powerful than the human race."

"Greed will only lead to your downfall." Looking at Crosshairs, Optimus nodded and transformed. "Do not follow us, or I'll allow my friend to do what he likes with you." Driving off, Crosshairs laughed and watched the human scurry off into the woods.

"Damn, I would have liked that opportunity." Running after Optimus, he transformed mid stride and took off.

* * *

Having driven a from the facility, Optimus pulled over and hid himself off of the high way. Driving deep into the woods he transformed and held Maria in his arms.

"Maria." His deep voice sounded, but she did not wake.

"No use," Crosshairs transformed and leaned on a tree, "They put her in some kind of offline mode."

"Humans are not like us." Sitting down, Optimus scanned her with his optics. Though he was no Ratchet, he could still do a little bit of the medics skills. "Her vitals are weak."

"Oh no doubt about that, nearly drained her dry. Not to mention rooting around her hood." He shrugged, seeing Optimus' disapproving face.

"We cannot move her anymore, not until she wakes up. She is too weak."

"So what do we do then?"

"I need you to get whatever you can off of that data terminal I had you take. It might have information on the next location we need to hit. We still know Drift is missing."

"Drift may have been taken to the facility in California. I heard from the guards that is where they take bots they believe can be more useful than spare parts." Setting the terminal down, he put his goggles on and began to work. "So far as I know, they are not just pulling us apart. They are up to something else as well. And from our little freak show here I think I have an idea."

"If this has been something years in the making...they must be close to the end goal."

"Considering the bloke would do this to his own flesh and blood, I just think they are desperate."

"Maybe." Optimus caressed the girl, hoping she would wake.

* * *

When the moon was directly over the two, Maria groaned. Optimus' optics had dulled since earlier, in a kind of nap mode. Lighting back up, he pulled the girl close to his face.

"Maria?" The only response he received was a loud whimper. "She's waking." Optimus looked at Crosshairs who only waved his hand at him, not looking up from the terminal. "Open your eyes Maria." He gently shook her, getting an even louder whined response.

"O-op-..." She trailed off, then her eyes snapped open. "FA-!" She jerked, a hand going to her surgical wound. "Ah god! What!?" Still half out of it she tried to sit up. "Oh my god what? What is this?" Bringing her hand up, she looked through blurry eyes to see her hand with a thick coat of blood on it. "I...ah! Fak-!" Gritting her teeth she tried not to scream.

"Maria calm down." Optimus tried to calm her but she began to hyperventilate.

"Optimus!" She cried, arching her back and grabbing one of his large fingers. "Oh god it hurts." The earth around Optimus began to move. Small rocks lifted off the ground and flew about, some hitting Optimus arms.

"I know. I know. Relax. Breath." He never raised his voice, instead it was soft and calm. He kept talking to her till finally she settled. Hand still on her side, tears streamed down the sides of her face. The rocks flying around dropped to the ground.

"What happened..." Finally speaking though the pain, she closed her eyes, exhausted.

"The battle has only just begun." He set her down in the grass, letting her use his hand as a crutch. "And you now have a main role in it...not just the Autobots anymore." Seeing the sorrow on her face, he quieted.

"My dad did this to me..." Letting Optimus' hand go, she took a few shaky steps. Turning her back to him, she looked at her hands. "I feel so different. Like...there is electricity at my fingertips." She took another step and winced, grabbing her stomach. "And knives in my stomach."

"Well, you are not wrong about the first part. You have yourself something not many will ever have." Crosshairs finally looked over his shoulder. "You should have seen yourself." He laughed and went back to work.

"What is he talking about?"

"You have acquired one of the abilities you uncovered in your research from the data. Telepathy."

"That's impossible."

"You're talking to two huge robots. Anything is possible. Plus you kicked ass against Mirage's imposters."

"The invisible guys...so it did happen." Rubbing her head, she had though it all had been a dream. "How do I use it?" She looked at her hands again, then held them out, but nothing happened.

"It's like a muscle. You have to practice, the more you do the stronger it gets." Crosshairs turned, flicking a rock at her. She threw up her hands to block and cried out, but it never hit her. Slowly lowering her arms, she could see it hovering in front of her before it dropped to the ground. "See..."

"But I didn't..."

"It's subconscious as of right now. It might take a long time for you to actually be able to control it. Though that may be for the best. From what we have seen, most do not live long after using these foreign powers."

"Don't forget Optimus, she's different. She was made this way. She's what you always say...More than meets the eye?" He laughed, enjoying making fun of the Prime. Though Optimus was not as amused.

"Listen Maria, we have to slow down for a few days. You are unfit to travel. I should bring you back to the scrap yard, Donny will keep you safe. This has become too dangerous now...with what has happened to you." He was the instant depression and anger grow on her face.

"No! Optimus! I will fight! I'm going to fight!" Fist clench she shouted at the Prime. "I'm going to stop my dad okay!? I'm going to get Ratchet back!" Hot tears coursed down her face as she kept yelling. "I'm going to stop him! Whatever it takes!"

Optimus said nothing, nor did Crosshairs. Maria kept her back turned to the Prime for a while before hearing him move.

"You will need these then." His hand came down on the side of her, opening and revealing her two bags. Seeing her small welder gave her an idea.

"Optimus. Tomorrow..." She got her welder out and lit it, shuffling though her bag and finding the knife. Lucky for her Optimus had grabbed it. "We take down the top facility in California." The flame on the torch glowed blue as she adjusted its temperature. Holding the knife up, she began to spray the flames on its blade. Optimus watched, unsure of her motive until she pulled the red hot blade away.

"Okay...okay..." Maria lifted her gown and removed her bandages, looking away for a moment at the wound. "You can do this..."

"Maria what are you..." Optimus jerked forwards when she pressed the blade down hard on the wound.

"Ahh! Fuck!" Maria pressed it hard against the skin, throwing her head back and screaming. More tears coursed down her face but she kept the pressure on. "ah-god!" Finally throwing the blade aside she laid in the grass a moment, arms shaking. "That sucked..." She was panting, not wanting to look at her steaming skin. "I cauterized it..." Looking up at her stomach, the skin had melted together, leaving a horrible burn, but at least it was closed.

"Kids got balls." Crosshairs snorted and stood, finishing with the terminal. "No useful data. Nothing new about incoming cargo or old. All of them go to the same place though. Cali."

"Though there are probably a lot of other small labs we could search...I think it's time we hit them where it hurts."

"I agree." Maria raised her hand, still not getting up. "I cannot wait anymore...we have to find Ratchet. I won't forgive myself if anything happens to him..."

"What about your old man?" Crosshairs pushed up his goggles.

"Do you want the truth?" She was a little nervous to say. "I'm going to kill him." She didn't look at Optimus, knowing he didn't like the idea. "I have to do this for myself. And for you guys. I cannot let you leave here thinking of us as horrible creatures. I can't..." Slowly, she climbed up, almost biting though her lip from the agony. "Come on..."

* * *

Ratchet glared at the lab workers, though not in a cell, his hands were bound and he was under heavy guard.

"I won't do it." He said.

"You don't have a choice." Maria's father was standing in front of him. "You either do as we say or you won't like the punishment. We will break you before you break us...and you won't."

"You are not human."

"Not for long." He smiled. "Listen...Ratchet," he started to walk around the medic, "If you do as we say you will live and everything will go back as you once knew it."

"So you say. But you and I both know it is not true."

"Maybe, but you are the only one who knows how to take your kind apart without...breaking anything. Which my own soldiers have failed to do. You are also going to help us mass produce the drug we have new created. You have the ability to get it done. And you will."

"I refuse."

"That's your choice, but Maria will die for your choice. Either you do what we want, or we kill her and make you watch."

"You wouldn't do that, she's your daughter!" Ratchet stepped forwards, getting electrocuted by the guards. He staggered and backed up. "You would do that to your own daughter?"

"She has already gotten a taste." Snapping his fingers, he had the video documented during her surgery shown to the medic.

"What have you done!?" He watched in horror. "She's only a child! Your child!"

"And she will serve me well, in fact she has already." He looked to the canisters filled with her blood. "Work for us and she can continue to live, refuse...and I'll send my men to end her."

Ratchet growled, looked back at the terminal and clenching his bound hands.

**"Fine."**


	10. Prime Target

The road to California was a long one, and for days they drove, only taking one pit stop for Maria to stretch her legs.

"How much longer till we get there?" Stretching, Maria winced, her burn wound stinging.

"A day maybe." Optimus rose from his vehicle form, looking into the sky for any sign that they were being followed.

"The sooner the better. I'm already angry with myself for leaving Ratchet alone this long." Kicking some stones, she stopped for a moment, feeling heat at her finger tips. Holding her hands out, she looked at the rocks. For a while nothing happened, but with more focus, she managed to roll them a few inches.

"Getting the hang of it yet?" Crosshairs knelt down by her, a smug look on his face.

"Not really." She tried again, and they moved only a few inches again. She kept going, not realizing blood began to seep down her nose.

"You're leaking lubricants." He watched her touch at her nose, she stared at the blood a while before using her sleeve to wipe the rest away.

"I wonder if I just am like the rest."

"What do you mean?"

"If I push myself to much. I'll just die. Like some beta fish."

"Whatever that is, I don't think so kid."

"I don't know. Just doing that I already feel exhausted. What is I...cross the line or something. Go Mr. Hyde."

"Listen, whatever happens, you skin will be fine."

"That's not what I...never mind." Pinching the bridge of her nose, Maria turned.

"Oh come on love, don't worry about what might happen. Optimus believes in you. And I'm sure Ratchet does. If you thought he didn't...would you have come this far?"

"No..." She turned back to him. Kicking the little rocks, she felt the ground shake as Optimus knelt behind her.

"Maria, Crosshairs, I'm going to go and scout ahead. The two of you stay here till nightfall. I want to make sure the rest of our trip go's undisturbed."

"You think we were followed?"

"I am unsure, but it is better I go ahead and take out anything that might be waiting for us. With Maria's escape, they may be desperate for her return. That is why Crosshairs I'm leaving you to protect her. Keep far from the road, I will radio ahead when it is time for you to catch up to me."

"Be careful Optimus." Maria placed a hand on the armor of his leg, patting it.

"Save your strength. Rest as much as you can, this may be our final stand." Rising, Optimus turned and walked a good distance from the two and transformed.

"Just you and me kid." Crosshairs tapped her on the back with a large finger, knocking her forwards a bit.

"I can't rest." She watched Optimus drive away before turning to the green bot. "I need you to help me."

"Well depends on what you need help with."

"I need you to help me figure out this power, or whatever it is. I need it to be useful. Not just pushing pebbles around."

"How far do you expect to get with it in one night."

"As far as my body lets me."

* * *

Crosshairs was standing in a clearing, throwing a rock up and down in his hand.

"Are you sure about this kid. Optimus will be all sorts of buggered if I crush you."

"Just throw it" Maria was on the other side of the clearing, legs spread, she looked more ready to fight than anything. "Not too hard...not yet anyways." She held up her hands.

"Alright then." He gripped the rock and chucked it. It headed right for her and he was certain she would be knocked out.

"Hnng!" Maria spread her fingers, and the incoming rock veered to the side and missed her.

"Nice." Impressed, the bot picked up another rock.

"Not really," She wiped sweat from her forehead, "I meant to stop it in mid air, not deflect it."

"Well I didn't kill you so let's just call it a plus huh?" He threw another, and another, and another till Maria finally got one to stop in front of her.

"I...I did it." She watched it float before her. "I can't believe I'm doing this..." moving her hands, the rock moved with her. "I think I got the hang of it.

"Well enough that you can defiantly survive the witch trials." He laughed at her un-amused face.

She faced her hands at him, and he felt a force push him back a bit. Though it felt more like a strong wind, he was impressed.

"I feel like a jedi."

"Whatever that is." Pushing back his coat, Crosshairs stood tall. "Push me again, but keep pushing."

"Are you sure?"

"I want to see how much you can give." He motioned for her to do as he told and she did. Facing her hands towards him, she felt the heat at her fingertips and pushed. Crosshairs had told her to think of this ability like extra sets of arms, and in a way it helped her focus more, having something to visualize made it easier for her to channel it. She pushed, and Crosshairs slid back, though he was not thrown off balance. "Keep going!" He could see her face getting red.

"You're heavy!" She took a step and pushed, continuing to move him only a few inches.

"I'm not that big." He dug one of his toes into the ground, now making it difficult. He watched the struggle, as f she was pushing on a wall, she yelled, finally letting out a burst that threw Crosshairs back. "Nice..." Brushing himself off, the green bot looked at the human, she was face down in the grass. "Aw well not you don't look as badass." His big finger poked her, only getting a groan in response.

"I don't feel so good." Blood oozed out of both nostrils now, and her vision was hazy. "I think I over did it."

"It's possible." Gathering her into his hand, he let her lay there.

"I have to keep trying."

"Not the best idea, the last thing I need is for the boss to come back and you pushin daisies."

"I just have to be ready."

"Listen, kid. Don't worry about what is going to happen. You've got Prime and I. Everything will be fine." Setting her down, he also sat and pulled out one of his duel guns and began to tinker with it. "When Prime comes back we will raise hell. I promise."

"I just want to end this as soon as possible."

* * *

Ratchet worked silently for a long time. Only being interrupted by smaller humans giving him more data and energon. Only when the next vile he got was Purple instead of blue did he stop.

"Where did you get this." His voice was low and threatening, causing the worker to step back from him in fear. "Where!?" he stomped his foot and turned, looking over his shoulder to another room connected to the lab. "Do you know what this is!?"

"I...I only work here!" He jumped back when Ratchet smashed his foot down again.

"This is Dark Energon! Do you have any idea what this can do!?" He watched the worker scurry away, running past Marias father.

"I am well aware." He walked around the bot, that devils grin on his face. "You see, when we pulled in the one you call Megatron, we assumed he also carried your lifeblood, but having heard what it can do...I want you to turn it into the next generation of the drug. With this, we just might be able to unlock 100% of the human brain without having to wait for evolution."

"You are mad." Ratchet hissed, fury in his eyes. "You will be the reason your kind falls."

"Oh no, we will rise. I used to be all about making things better. Better robots, better medicines, cars, anything, that is what my company did. And I am still doing it."

"In an inhumane way. First your wife...and then your daughter. Will you stop at nothing?"

"The way I see it is," He stood in front of Ratchet, "If you do as I say, she will live, though she no doubt is on her way to save you. Her and that Prime. But I have already sent out a team of mine to deal with it. Without her body guards, she is still just a girl."

"She stronger than you think. I too once though she was just some human I met in the junk yard. But she became more."

"She has the spirit of her mother, and the will of fire. But she is still human after all. And with my newly Evolved soldiers, she won't be for long. If my team can knock out her guards, she will either give up, or come after them. Though she will be alone, and she cannot fight an army."

"Whatever your planning...it won't work."

"We will see." Typing into a terminal, he shocked Ratchet, making the medic drop to his knees. "Now get to work on that new Dose. I have more canisters on the way."

* * *

Optimus rolled down the high way, on his way back he became more and more suspicious. No traffic coming or going, he was the only one. He kept going, picking up speed, fearing the worst may have happened to the others.

The Prime zoomed past, not expecting to be hit from the side. Sending his truck form veering to the side, he transformed, his shoulder sparking as metal fragments splintered off it.

"Show yourselves!" Ion cannon at the ready, Optimus dropped his face mask. Several shoppers zoomed overhead, spotlights on him while hummers burst from the trees. Circling him, he growled.

* * *

Crosshairs suddenly stood, tilting his head, he seemed to be listening.

"What's wrong-" Maria tried to say but she was shushed.

"Sh-sh...Listen." He took light steps forwards, his eyes scanning the woods. Maria listened, but heard nothing. Transformers had better hearing than humans, so it was no wonder she didn't hear anything.

"I don't hear a thing."

"It was a blast. I heard it. Not too far." He grabbed Maria, transforming with her in his hands she was thrown into his seats.

"You think it is Optimus?"

"I don't know, but whatever it was...it was big."

"Big enough to hurt Optimus?"

"Just hold on tight." His wheels spun as he shot out of the side woods and skidded onto the main high way. Taking off, he was like a green lightening strike.

Heart pounding in her chest, Maria could feel fire at her finger tips, as they drove the wind was picking up and the trees whipped around. The more frightened she got, the more violent the wind lifted.

"Hurry!" It wasn't long before they could see Optimus struggling against the tethers that Ratchet himself had been snagged in. Though Optimus had a lot more connected to him. The shoppers pulled on him, keeping his arms and legs apart, giving him no leverage to fight back. The troops on the ground prodded him, electrocuting him till his processors became overloaded. He fell, causing quite the earthquake as he did, his optics, while barely still online, spotted the green ar.

"Get back..." His voice played though Crosshairs radio. "Run..." Ass Crosshairs skidded to a halt, Maria watched his Optics fade as he went into a stasis mode.

"NO! OPTIMUS!" Yanking Crosshairs doors open, she jumped out, moving too fast for Crosshairs to catch her. "OPTIMUS!" Hands out, she let the fire at her fingertips burn. The choppers violently jerked back, snapping some of the tethers. The hummers on the ground skidded a few feet and all the soldiers were knocked off their feet. "GET AWAY!" Eyes glowing bright white, Maria threw her hand to the side, sending more guards flying. Right about to touch Optimus' face, she felt a force push her, though it pushed her harder than she had ever pushed with her own ability. As it a transformer themselves had swatted her away, she soared though the air.

"I gottcha!" Rolling, Crosshairs snagged her, transforming and locking her in the car.

"Let me out! Let me out!" Banging on the window, she watched as the soldier who pushed her stood while the others remained down, unable to see his face, he motioned for the choppers to lift the Prime and take him away. "No! NO! NOO! CROSSHAIRS YOU ASSHOLE LET ME OUT!" Pressing her hands on the window, she didn't care about the blood pouring from her nose, or the headache that was splitting her in two, she cracked his window, hoping to shatter it before he drove away to far. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she watched Optimus vanish into the sky, and the hummers follow the choppers. "Crosshairs why..." Eyes fading back to normal, she fell back into the seat. "Why didn't you fight..." She punched the dash, getting no response. "Why didn't you fight back!" She was sobbing now. "My dad has Optimus now! You moron!" Covering her face she kept crying.

"Listen kid, you have to chose your fights. We were out numbered. If they took Optimus, they could have gotten me as well. It's better to just give up. Move on. This was a lost cause anyway. Let the man have what he wants." This sparked rage in the young woman.

"Stop the car..." Her voice was sinister.

"I'm not stopping."

"I said stop." Eyes glowing, Crosshairs lifted off the ground, his tired spinning in air. "You can go on living with that...but I won't." Forcing his door open, she stepped out and roughly dropped the car. He didn't bother transforming, instead he slammed the car door.

"Fine, if you want to go on this suicide mission be my guest. Nothing in it for me anyway." Peeling out, he left her, driving out of sight.

"Coward." Staggering, Maria fell, unable to rise to her feet for what seemed like an eternity. "I have to hurry..." She looked at her hands, extra fingers danced in her vision. "I have to hurry..." Crawling for a while, she finally stood, unable to move any faster than a speed walk. Though it resembled more like a zombie walk than anything else.

**"Optimus...Ratchet...I'm coming."**


	11. One shall Stand One Shall Fall

The walk into the city seemed like it took forever. Maybe it was the exhaustion, maybe it was the energon in her system, or maybe it was just hope fading. Maria trucked on, one hand on her side, her burn wound stinging every time her shirt touched her skin. Her face a light pink, having cried for a long time on her walk, she wanted to kick Crosshairs. How could he just leave, knowing that he was probably going to be recaptured and harvested anyway. How could he just do that. Though the answer didn't matter currently, she trucked onwards, reaching the city by daybreak.

"I'm not a fighter." She walked between the traffic. "I'm not a soldier." Moving to the sidewalk she made quickened pace to get to her last destination. Though this was located in the city, the building itself was no more than three floors high. This particular facility was more dedicated to the science than the paperwork. "I'm just an artist." She had ditched her welder along the road. The weight slowing her down. She had already felt like passing out, and at times she staggered about, and people around her wondered if she was drunk. It had taken her till Noon to find the right place, and by then she was covered in sweat. A knot formed in her stomach as she stood in the middle of the parking lot, just looking at the building. "Optimus...Ratchet...If you can hear me," She spoke into her bracelet. "I'm coming."

* * *

Energon dripped from Ratchets head onto his shackled hands. He was slumped in his cage, heavily restrained and wounded. He had been working, converting the Dark Energon as he had been instructed, only when they brought in Optimus did he finally put up a fight. Smashing what large canisters he had already synthesized, he tried to get to Optimus. Swatting humans and machines out of the way, he only made it half way before being electrocuted and knocked around by the Evolved soldiers. Taking a beating, he was cuffed and put away, now having to stare at Optimus and Megatron laying side by side, being drained of their life. one vile purple, the other blue. The medic cursed himself, now unable to do a thing, his optics faded, and he wished he would just rust already.

"R...chet..." Ratchet's head lifted slightly at the sound of something in his audio-receptors. The static overwhelmed the message, making the rest impossible to hear. The building had heavy security, he had been certain no transition could get though at all.

"Maria...?" His voice was soft, wanting to believe it was her but he too was so low on Energon he felt himself fading in and out of consciousness. Leaning back, he rested his head on the back wall, feeling lost. Was this how the war ended? With the last of their kind ripped apart for the greater good of another species? Was this how it ended. Optimus and Megatron dying side by side, unknowing that the other was beside them. He never knew, or even though something like this would be the end game. "I tried." He blinked, inhaling and letting out loud cough. "I tried Maria. I wish I had your spark. But I'm old now..." he continued talking to himself. "I thought I was scrap when I landed in the junk yard. But you had to fix me. You insisted. And..." He trailed off a moment, "I showed you how." Looking at his hands, he spread his fingers and though about all of the things he had fixed, and those he had not, like bumblebees voice box, or even coming close to bringing Jazz back. "I could use your spark now. Primus...I'm giving up, and I know you wouldn't." His fist clenched and he rested his head on the wall again.

"Have I broken you?" Ratchet looked down again, seeing Marias father. "You had been so adamant about saving everybody and getting out. Was it the fact I successfully captured your leader that broke you?" He paced the cage.

"There will be others..." Ratchet held his gaze with the man.

"True, and they will be brought in soon enough. It is only a matter of time. Lucky for us, we caught your leader alone. Put down some of my choppers and land crews. But he never fired on them."

"Optimus doesn't _kill_ humans..." Ratchet wished he had, just this one time, but Optimus was pure to the core.

"And because of that he was an easier catch than most. With both him and the other giving me large amount of your life blood, I can supply an army quickly." Motioning to a table, he showed Ratchet several different syringes, some blue, other dark purple. "We already know what the blue energon can do..." He picked up a purple syringe.

"You will end your own life...even with it synthesized..." Ratchet snapped, becoming angry that he had played a part in his achieving this. "The universe requires balance, and with you using that, you are tipping the scale, though maybe in your favor for a while, it will bounce back. And you will not like the outcome." His words didn't shake the man.

"The difference between your kind and mine is the fact we are not afraid to overstep."

"And you will play dearly for it. You already have."

"But I have so much more to gain."

"Others will come. And they will stop you. If not today...tomorrow. One day. You will pay for what you have done." He watched as the man injected the dark energon right into his arm. He staggered and howled, his blood feeling as though it was acid. "I can feel it...the power..." He said through bared teeth. Standing up strait, his eyes glowing a faint purple while the veins around his eyes also pulsed purple. Throwing his hand to the side, he crushed a terminal, then laughed. "The human race will be at the top..." A faint purple aura glowed from his hands a guard slowly approached him, looking a little hesitant.

"Sir there has been a perimeter breach. We think it's-" The guard was cut off when Marias father sent him flying across the room with his push.

"Perfect..."

* * *

Maria was running down the halls, having blasted the front doors open with her push, she threw anybody aside who got in her way. Lucky for her having practiced with Crosshairs so much, tossing people aside was a breeze compared trying to move a transformer. She kept running, not stopping when the guards charged her, instead she picked up speed, ramming them and knocking one off his feet. Using her Push to knock the other down, she began a beat down on the one she had pinned. Though he was still a grown man he dumped her off and punched her in the gut. Maria cried out, curling in a ball, her burn throbbing.

"Fuck off!" Lifting the guard, she pushed him, throwing him down the hall and slamming him into the wall. Regaining her footing, she jogged. "Shit..." Vision already becoming blurry, hot blood oozed from her nose. "I have to hurry. Hurry...hurry." The building was like a maze to her. The more corners she turned the more she felt like she wouldn't find the lab until finally it was in view. Crashing through the doors, she fell face first into the large room. Getting up and brushing herself off she looked around. She did a double take when she saw Ratchet.

Finally.

"Ratchat!" She ran, ignoring the lab workers trying to grab her, her subconscious pushed them. She ran till she slammed into his cage bars, tears pouring down her face. "Ratchet, I'm here! I'm here!" She was choking on sobs as she reached in and touched his shackled hand.

"Maria..." His optics flickered online. He leaned forwards in the cell, taking her little hand into his big one and squeezing gently. "You're alive." he was relieved.

"Barely." She began to cough, blood coming out. "I... Ratchet listen to me." She pulled her hand away and ran to the terminal closest to his cage, "I don't have a lot of time before this place is overrun. I have to get you out." She was struggling to see what was on screen. Words danced in her vision and she collapsed to her knees, but she kept typing.

"You have used to much of your ability..." He knew.

"I'm fine..." As her mind kept the lab workers back, she worked. "Once you are out...get Optimus." She could see him from across the room...along with Megatron who she did not recognize. "Grab him and leave here as fast as you can. Don't turn back." Right as she was about to press enter to open Ratchets cell, a powerful blast knocked her away from the terminal, smashing her into bars. It was nothing she had ever felt before, the push was worse than the soldier she encountered when she tried to save Optimus. No...this Push was something more.

"Tsk...tsk. Maria. Why can't you just listen to your father." Maria's father stepped out, motioning for the workers to clear the area. "Funny...Your mother looked just as you did right in this moment."

"Bastard." Maria's back slid down the bars and she was sitting on the floor, dazed. "It end here." Ratchet stuck a finger though the bars to help her stand. "You can stop now... or-"

"Or what..." Purple eyes ablaze, he pushed her up against the bars and held her there. She felt like a wall was being pressed to her, crushing her between it on Ratchets cage. "You'll kill me?" He laughed and lifted her away from the bars and high in the air, then whipped her down into the floor. Her body rolled and she remained unmoving.

"Maira you cannot fight him! He has Dark Energon inside of him! You have to get out!" Ratchet rattled his cage, slamming his feet against the bars, causing the lab to shake.

"Is that all you have? My daughter? You have put up better fights trying to get me to let you go to that scrap yard." He moved close to her, amused when she began to roll over.

"I'll _never_ stop fighting you..." Marias eyes radiated white light, she stood, hands out, pushing her father back. "I'll never forgive you..." Pushing and pushing, she had him close to pinned in the same place she was, until he pushed her back and she was thrown again. Crashing over desktops and shattering test tubes. She stood, panting, wiping blood from her forehead. Ratchet was right, he was ten times stronger than her. Not only could he out push her, he had home advantage. If he called for it, the extra soldiers would pour in and overwhelm her, but for some reason she just knew he wouldn't do that. He wanted this victory for himself alone.

"Maria, listen to me. I really don't want to put you down. You are one of the biggest breakthroughs this company has seen. You will be the first in the Evolutionary chain. Don't make me waste all those recourses." Scalpels lifted off the trays close to him and hovered around him as he spoke. "I really would like to work this out."

"Lies..." Maria side stepped, the two circling each other like lions.

"You have two choices here. You can either give up and stop this fight and submit to the test," His eyes glowed slightly brighter as he spoke the next sentence, "or you can die here and now with you bots." The scalpels suddenly straitened, pointing right at her. "Which is it..."

Maria said nothing, instead, she steadied herself, separating her legs a bit, she braced herself and raised her hands.

"So be it." The scalpels flew like bullets and Maria was ready. Fire at her fingertips, focused. The scalpels deflected, but as she had feared, she couldn't stop them all. One sliced right though her side, tearing though her back and clattering to the floor while the second that hit her sliced her cheek open. As the barrage stopped, she fell back, gagging on blood as her hand tried to cover the hole the knife had punched through. Her braclet had flown off her wrist, bouncing off of the ground a few times before rolling and hitting the edge of Ratchets cell and stopping.

"Oh well, it was fun while it lasted..." She though she heard her father say. Everything around her was flickering, feeling was being lost and all she could do was lay there.

"No! Maria!" Ratchet cried out, ramming himself against the bars. He roared, thrashing as much as he could but getting no closer to breaking out. "Monster!"

"Oh hush. She had a choice, but she always chooses wrong." Stepping over his fallen daughter, he walked a few paces, his back to her, he began to speak. "It's over for you now. I wish you had just done as I had asked. A lot of my labs would still be functional. And I could have a few more bots to have drained. But like I said before to your friend...it is only a matter of time before we catch them all."

Maria, on her side, looked at her hand. Covered in blood, she felt a knot forming in her throat.

_I failed._

Tears stung her eyes.

_I tried so hard and I failed._

As tears globed down her cheeks, something caught her remaining vision. Within the cluttered mess of the knocked over desks, papers, and glass, was a still intact dark Energon syringe.

"If I'm going to die..." dragging herself along the floor, she took short painful breaths, "I'm going to die in style." With shaking hands, she grabbed the needle and jammed it into her leg.

Marias father was jarred back, a huge wave hitting him. The desks and examinations tables were violently pushed back, leaving the room wide open. He turned and his eyes filled with rage when he saw Marias eyes glowing the same purple as his.

Ratchet could only watch, a horrible dread filling his spark chamber as he watched Maria step forwards. Only one of her arms was extended, her fingers pointing at her father.

"I'll kill you..." Her voice was a whisper but it sounded like many at once. The dark energon formed around her hands, creating what looked like large fists. Her father did the same.

"Fine then. If you don't want to just die on your own, I'll make sure I finish the job." They both charged and their fist collided, sending a shockwave through the lab, cracking the buildings supports. Both were thrown back, and they charged again, slamming one another and pushing. face to face, Maria's eyes sparked rage while her father's seemed amused. They fought, sending more and more shockwaves though the floors and walls and soon the building began to give. The ceiling began to fall, and the walls cracked and groaned in response to the new weight. Maria used the falling ceiling pieces and hurled them at her father, he blocked them, destroying them from his abilities shield. The longer the battle went, the more dangerous it became for the both of them. As they grappled, outside blast could be heard and a soldiers voice came though a terminal that was laying on the floor.

"Insections are overrunning us!" The voice was frantic and screams could be heard in the background. "They are trying to get in! And there's-" A loud scream followed and the communication was cut short. It wasn't long after the bugs burst though the lab walls, zooming all over and swarming the area. Maria and her father paid no attention, both locked din battle and bloodlust from the Dark Energon. The longer it remained in their systems, the more violent they became. They didn't realize the building was now collapsing on top of them. They just dodged and clashed again and again until Maria was distracted by a familiar voice.

"Ride'em little doggie!" Crosshairs flew in on an Insecticon, leaping down and rolling, his guns drawn. Blasting away the guards that tried to follow him, he made his way to Ratchet.

"Crosshairs?" Ratchet was just as surprised as Maria was. Though Maria made the mistake of letting her guard down and was rewarded with a powerful push that sent her to the floor. Now being crushed by her father's push.

"Go! Get Ratchet and get out of here!" Maria screamed, pushing the floor, trying to get herself up. "Get Optimus and Ratchet to safety!" Blood was streaming from both corners of her mouth, and her father looked just as rugged as her now. Though his glowing eyes now began to fade and he was losing strength. The Dark Energon in his blood almost all used up. Taking her chance, Maria broke through the push, picking up a steal rod that had fallen from the ceiling. "**GO NOW!**" She let the rod hover around her as she watched her father fall to one knee, still trying to fight back.

Crosshairs destroyed the terminal holding Ratchet and broke his cuffs off, then went over to Optimus and unhooked him. Still in stasis mode, he was unharmed, though a little drained, still well and functional. Crosshairs hauled the Prime over his shoulder and looked at Megatron. He turned, ignoring him.

More of the building collapsed over head, some pieces hitting ratchet and the others as they made their way to the opening where Crosshairs had come though. Ratchet skidded to a hault as Crosshairs jumped though the hole.

"I cannot leave her!" He said over the loud noises of the building shattering.

While Ratchet was shouting at Crosshairs, Maria had sent the rod though her father, making sure to target his heart. There were no last words, no guilt, no 'I'm sorry it ended this ways', just the end. His body fell, purple blood gushing from the wounds, while Maria threw her hands up, holding a large portion of the ceiling up, if it came down so would the rest of the building. Her eye slit liek fire and the purple energy flared, the ceiling rose as she screamed. Putting every last bit of energy she had into lifting it just so the others could get out.

"Go! get out!" Her legs started shaking under the weight, her voice lowering to something demonic. "Get out!" She collapsed to one knee and saw Ratchet reach for her, but Crosshairs grabbed him.

"We can't! She's gone anyway Ratchet! She can't live with that for much longer! Let her go!" He dragged the medic out.

And the building fell.

* * *

_It's over..._

_Or at least it soon will be._

_The pain will stop. _

_The sorrow will fade, and I can rest. _

_My fighting is done. _

_I did what I could._

Blurry eyes rapidly blinked, struggling to clear. Soft gags and hiccups escaped the body laying under rubble. Only a small glint of light from the outside could be seen through the cracks. Facing up, she could see ships hovering overhead...

No...not ships. Insecticons. That's right. Not ships. Just the bugs.

Blood trailed down her lips, down her neck, and into her hair, making it stick to her. Grime covered her sliced and swollen cheek. She was pale, cold, and could feel the heat at her fingertips fading, and all she could feel were her normal hands. No longer was they warm feeling present. The pain was close behind, not leaving her unattended it rocked her in and out of consciousness till she thought she heard her name being called. With eyes only half open, she reached out her hand, her fingers stretching in the direction she through she had heard her name. Unable to move her head, she just kept reaching, toughing only the ground she lay on. She listened, but didn't hear her name again, and she just wished death would take her already instead of leaving her buried, but she could hear the rubble about her moving. Then the hot sun splashed her face, warming her pale body, and then she was uncovered, but not moved.

"I guess we are _even_ now..." She couldn't see who it was, her vision to foggy, but she made out a familiar scar, a familiar two scars to be exact.

Starscream threw the rubble off the human, leaving her uncovered and exposed in the light.

"I was digging for someone else." He moved along, brushing more and more rubble away before uncovering Megatron. "Here he is." He hissed, pulling his leader from the ruins and commanding the insecticons to grab and lift him. They flew off with the large bot, and Starscream turned back to the human. "Always the problem with you fleshies. So squishy." jumping, he transformed and zoomed away, leaving Maria with only the sunlight to comfort her. It wasn't long later that she heard her name again and she just wished it was god. Unable to open her eyes now, she allowed whoever was picking her up to do so.

* * *

"I found her!" Ratchet cried, pulling her close, he scanned her, his panels flashing red.

"Ratchet she's going to die, stop making it worse." Crosshairs had a groggy Optimus balanced on one of his arms.

"How long does she have..." Optimus took a step towards him, still needing Crosshairs to help him, with such little energon in his system he was wobbly.

"Not long..."Gently shaking her, he shook his head.

"It's _okay._.." Maria said though dried lips, her eyes barely open. "It's okay now..." She trailed off. "I'm ready." She touched ratchets chest plate, her hand cold. "I promised I would come get you. I did what I had to...and I'm so happy you are safe." A single tear streaked down her face and Ratchet shivered, biting his bottom lip in anger at himself. "You guys don't have to worry about my dad anymore...or this company. Please don't think of us as monsters." Her words became softer and softer, both of her arms badly burned from using the dark energon, and her eyes normal, though a very dull brown. Blood was dried and crusted to her shirt, and her free hand was still covering her open wound. She began to look more and more like a corpse than the young artist he had first met. He could almost see her spirit leaving her body.

"Don't worry about that okay...Just save your strength." Ratchet stood quickly, transforming and zooming down the road, sirens blasting. Optimus and Crosshairs only watched them vanish.

* * *

Ratchet remained parked outside the hospital for weeks, the more time that passed, the more the feeling of dread in his spark grew. Even though the dark Energon had run out in her body, she was still heavily wounded, plus the dark energon still demands a price that can sometimes never be paid. But he remained, unmoving until finally one early morning a knock came on his hood.

"It seems like yesterday I was under this hood looking for parts." Maria smiled, her head wrapped in bandages, and both of her arms, she was sitting in a wheelchair. Ratchet Transformed, so much joy on his normally grumpy face.

"You're alive!" He picked up her chair and held her in his hands. "I feared the worst."

"I'm tough as nails." She gave him a big smile but winced as she pulled the stitches on her cheek. "But something is wrong." She saw Ratchets face grow with worry.

"What is it." He began to fear if the dark Energon had already done something.

"I...I cannot feel...my powers anymore. It's like they are just gone. I used to feel warm. Or at least like my fingers were hot. But now it just feels like my old me..." She watched Ratchet think for a while.

"Maria, when a transformer runs out of energon they either die or become dormant... So it needs to be replenished. But you do not live on energon..." he thought some more then nodded. "The best reason I can give to the absence of your powers is that you dried up the Energon hat was given to you from your earliest forms of life. Or, when you used up the last of the dark Energon, it took what was left of your powers with it, balancing you back out to just...a human." He set her down. "But I am just guessing. One way to find out it to replenish your supply."

"No...I think I have had enough of this for one summer. Plus...humans are not ready for this kind of things yet. Best I leave it behind."

"I wouldn't say all humans."

"What about Optimus and Crosshairs, what are they doing?"

"Optimus is freeing the remaining captured bots. Crosshairs recovered all of the locations of the labs in the country so they will be busy for a while. But as your guaridan, I am assigned for your protection."

"If you wanted to spend more time with me Ratchet you could have just said so." Maria laughed and watched as He transformed and opened his door to her.

"Ready to go home."

**"Yeah."**

* * *

**Thank You guys for reading! I hope you enjoyed! More stories to come (with Maria, different world, different times) In the future! Thanks for all of the support and Reviews! _You're all amazing!_**


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